Love Hina: All Girls Dorm Edition
by Allen Ramsey
Summary: Urashima Keika, a two-time ronin aiming for Toudai, decides to pay her grandmother Hina a visit after receiving a fax and getting kicked out of her parents' house... here's what happens... Warnings: Female Keitaro, FemKei/Mot, shoujo-ai/femslash Complete!
1. Ronin's Arrival

_Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, nor am I making money from this._

_**WARNING: Contains a female Keitaro and a femslash/shoujoai/lesbian pairing. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION!!**_

_Authors Note: I always liked the Kei/Mot pairings in it's many variations, but I _am_ a yuri fan after all. As such, this fic has come into existence. Hope you all enjoy, and I've left some notes on certain elements of the story at the bottom of the page._

* * *

_**Love Hina: All-Girls Dorm Edition**_

_Chapter 1: Ronin's Arrival_

* * *

"Hina? Hina-obasan? Anyone?" a fairly young brunette asked loudly as she entered into Hinata-sou "Anybody here?"

The woman was one Urashima Keika, the nineteen year old granddaughter of Hina. She was a bit on the tall side, as was common among Urashima women, though her hair was brown, unlike the common black, and was inherited from her father. Her eyes were still the same brown though, and she even had the traditional hairstyle of the Urashima: brow-length, messy bangs with the very edges being chin length, and the rest pulled into a short ponytail. As for her figure, she would say she was 'average and plain', but the truth was that she was actually rather shapely and beautiful without being 'overboard'.

As for her clothing, she was dressed rather well, giving her an intellectual look, though she thought she was 'nerdy'. She wore black slacks, cut for a woman of course, and a white blouse more akin to a men's dress shirt in it's style. Black, thick glasses adorned her face, which was the only part that anyone would probably consider dorky, and, for some odd reason, she wore black gloves on her hands. Overall, her style of dress wasn't overtly flattering, but it did give her a bit of a masculine appearance in the eyes of some, though even then the gloves were an enigma.

But alas, the author's digressed…

(AN: narrator-baka…)

"I guess nobody's home…" Keika thought aloud as she set down her backpack, which was the entirety of her possessions that she could carry.

Carefully slipping off her black shoes, she took note of the fairly comfortable and homey living room, noting the staircase at one end and the couches and TV at the other. She headed down what appeared to be a main hallway, noticing that the place was utterly immaculate, though a few repairs might have been necessary to make it absolutely perfect in every respect. Eventually she noticed what she thought was water out past one of the walls, which is when she also heard the sounds of slightly running water. Moving to the cracked door she had been looking through, Keika was amazed, and overjoyed, to find a large onsen, or open air bath.

"I don't remember _this_ being here!" Keika said aloud as she took a few steps closer, noticing just how big the onsen was as more of it came into view " Hina-obasan _really_ went all out with her inn!"

Keika then took a step back, glanced around, and then headed to the door to check down both ends of the hallway. After seeing that there was absolutely nobody around, she made her way back near the hotsprings and began unbuttoning her blouse.

"I don't think anyone will mind if I take a quick dip." Keika said in an attempt to justify her future soon-to-be bath in the onsen "Besides, after hauling my carcass up the staircase from hell, I think a bath is a fair treat."

She had just finished unbuttoning her blouse to reveal her white, lacy bra and shapely chest when she heard the door behind her open, which immediately sent her into a short panic. Spinning around on the spot, Keika stood with her blouse open to expose herself to the two women that had just appeared in the doorway, one a gray-haired woman about her age with a fox-like face and the body of a vixen, and the other a younger girl with auburn hair and hazel eyes with a figure much like Keika's own. Both immediately ended their portions of the conversation as they saw Keika before them, her chest revealed with no attempt at covering herself out of sheer shock and slight panic.

"Who the hell are you?!" the auburn-haired girl shouted defensively, which was enough to send Keika into a raging blush as she shut her blouse in a moment.

"I-I-I, um, m-my, I'm…" Keika stammered out, slowly backing away as she saw the auburn-haired woman's face turn damn near feral in it's fury.

"What were you gonna do?! Wait for us in the hotsprings, hentai?!" the auburn hair girl challenged, but Keika couldn't seem to find her voice to reply with a refutation.

"Hey there, calm down gal." the fox-girl said, apparently nervous at what her friend was doing "I don't think ya need ta…"

Knowing that the auburn girl was probably a bit distracted, Keika took the best option she currently had to her: she ran like a bat out of hell in the direction that put her furthest from the auburn haired girl and her fox-esque friend.

"HEY!! GET BACK HERE, HENTAI!!" was what Keika heard through the blood pounding in her ears as she tore down the length of the bath, careful not to slip as she slid to a near-stop due to the rapidly diminishing straightaway.

Seeing the fence and a low overhang, Keika quickly jumped onto the fence, then made a grab for the overhang and pulled herself up with some effort. After she did so though, she noticed an odd, red dot on the center of her exposed chest, and then another… and another… then fifty or so others as she looked up to the sight of fifty or so small robots with a young, blonde, tanned gaijin girl behind them.

"Ooh... are you here to play with me?" the girl asked happily as she brought up a remote control, which was when Keika felt her blood freeze "Let's play!"

Keika let loose a bloodcurdling scream as she took shelter behind the nearby doorway, watching as several salvos of missles and small arms rounds passed by her, and she had a strong desire to wet herself out of fear. She didn't stick around long, in case the missiles were heat-seeking or homing varieties, and instead took a chance and tore through the doorway to where the gaijin was. She quickly shot to the clear edge of a wall, and ran past the girl and her deathbots before the miniature deathbringers and the gaijin could recover.

"Hey!" was all the gaijin shouted as she too began to chase after Keika, who was having troubles finding a way out of here so she could reach Haruka's tea shop and get her to sort things out.

She took a quick left, and had to duck as a bokken shot out of a room nearby, which was held by a rather fierce looking woman.

"Ano?!" Keika said aloud, but then noticed that the woman was a perfect idea of a female samurai with her long, black hair, hazel eyes, hime haircut, and a red and white training garb.

However, unlike the calm, composed samurai of yore, this one was utterly furious.

"Die!" she shouted as she took another swing, but Keika slid away before she could hit her.

Now she was once more heading down the hallway of the second floor, now chased by at least two girls on that floor alone. However, it appeared that she had found a way to save herself: there was a double set of stairs nearby, one heading up to the third floor, and another heading to the first. The sight of the auburn and fox girls at the bottom of the lower staircase was enough to decide for her, so she headed up the steps to the third floor, and then up the steps leading to the roof with the intention of jumping off into the onsen if need be.

Unfortunately, she failed to account for the long hallway she went down in her calculation of where she was, so she was stuck with a long fall to the hard ground on every side.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed a she turned an about face, watching as the four girls chasing her, and a fifth girl with blue hair that she hadn't even run into, appeared at the head of the steps, the eldest three in a state ranging from irritation to fury.

Keika gulped as she tried her best to hold her open blouse shut, slowly backing herself up against a railing.

"L-Look, girls, this is just a big misunderstanding!" Keika tried to explain, though her voice was shaking throughout "I-I'm j-just here to stay at Hina-oba-san's inn!"

"Shut up, hentai!" the auburn haired girl shouted as she and the samurai approached her, causing Keika to wince a bit "I don't want to hear your _lies_! This place hasn't been an inn in years!"

"What?!" Keika shouted in surprise, which is when the two girls decided to attack.

She sidestepped the auburn's punch, then ducked under the sword strike before rolling out of the way of a second blade attack. She hopped to her feet as the auburn girl kicked at her on the ground, and stepped backwards so she was just out of the range of the blade strike.

"Please!" Keika pleaded as she dodged another flurry of strikes with some effort, and then ducked under the flying kick from the gaijin "Stop!"

"Vile woman! You _dare_ ask for pity?!" the samurai shouted as she quickly took a stance "Ougi: Zanganken!"

An easily visible wave of ki shot in Keika's direction, and the older girl's face hardened a bit. Reaching her hand out just as the ki attack would reach her, she physically grabbed hold of the blade of ki, stopping it's motion towards her in an instant.(1)

"What?!" was the samurai's only response as Keika's own hand lit up with ki as well, though only Motoko could see the flare-up of ki.

"I said, 'this is just a big misunderstanding'." Keika hissed harshly, clenching her fist and shattering the ki blade like it was made of paper-thing glass.

"That it is."

Everyone turned to the nearby stairwell, finding a visage similar to Keika, though with black hair, no glasses or ponytail, and with a cigarette hanging loosely from her lips. Keika's attitude seemed to change in an instant the moment Haruka appeared.

"Haruka-oba-san!" Keika shouted happily as she once again attempted to hold her blouse closed "I am _so_ glad to see you!"

"Wha?" was the auburn girl's response, while the samurai girl was still staring at Keika with an expression of utter disbelief.

As for Haruka, she simply sighed, taking a long drag on her smoke a moment prior.

"Don't call me that Kei, now button up and come on. _All_ of you: follow me." Haruka commanded, and even the hyperactive gaijin immediately did as she was told.

* * *

"Absolutely not!" the auburn girl, Naru shouted, less than a foot from Keika's face in the process.

"Please?" Keika asked in return, though she sat back nervously as the fierce girl.

What had provoked this amidst a house meeting was Haruka's announcement that Keika would be staying at the house. The fox girl, the bluenette, and the gaijin, which happened to be Kitsune, Shinobu, and Su respectively, seemed alright with this. The samurai, Motoko, seemed to hold her tongue throughout, but Naru on the other hand…

"No! No way! Not on my life!"

"Well why not?" Keika pleaded, hoping to get the irritated woman to think clearly.

"Do you _really_ think we'd let you stay here after what you did?" Naru shot back, crossing her arms haughtily in the process.

"But… I haven't done anything…" Keika stated in all honesty "Well, except run away, dodge, and defend myself…"

"Liar! You… you…" Naru began to accuse, but trailed off when she began to draw mental blanks.

"I… don't believe that Urashima-san has done anything that would be a problem." Motoko finally spoke up, which was surprising to the residents there.

"Yeah, I mean, ya _did_ yell at 'er when ya found 'er at at the bath." Kitsune added seriously "Hell, even _I_ would run if I saw ya angry like that."

"Kitsune!" Naru responded with a blush, but couldn't find any means to refute that point.

"Ano… I think she should be allowed to stay." the ever shy Shinobu added, much to Naru's dislike, though Keika was glad to have all the support.

"Hm… I don't know…" the energetic Su stated, much to Naru's pleasure.

"Thank you S-" Naru began, but she was nearly knocked to the ground as Su leapt at Keika, who only griped the couch and forced herself further into it.

Su landed, straddling her lap with her face only a few centimeters from Keika's own, which was a blaring red hue. Su continued to stare at her with hard eyes, to which Keika was trying her damnedest to not move, mostly due to fear and nervousness at having the girl so close to her.

"…will you play with me if you stay here?" the young gaijin asked in a rather serious manner.

Keika blinked a few times to get the gears in her head working again. Having not expected something so whimsical from the seemingly serious girl had slowed her brain to a halt for a split second there.

"Um… I guess I could-" Keika began, but a bone-crushing hug knocked the wind out of her mid sentence.

"She can stay!" Su announced as she wrapped herself around Keika, the brunette's eyes nearly popping out of her head from the force of the hug.

Haruka was laughing openly as Shinobu and Kitsune struggled to save her niece from Su's death grip.

'_Looks like everything turned out alright.'_ Haruka thought as she stood to leave, watching as Su was finally pried off, leaving a twitching, pained Keika slumped on the couch in her stead.

* * *

"Uh… what a day…" Keika muttered as she collapsed onto the floor of her new room, which was the old manager's room.

Rolling over so she was on her new futon staring at the ceiling, Keika couldn't help wondering what she had gotten into. Right off the bat, Su had attempted to riddle her with every form of missile imaginable, and it was by the grace of the gods that she was alive even now. Kitsune, real name Konno Mitsune, had taken to teasing her about her glasses and how she dressed 'kinda like a guy' while rapidly getting shit-faced off of sake. Naru still seemed to hate her, though Keika couldn't fathom an honest to god rational reason why, and Motoko seemed to be avoiding her for some reason that most likely had to do with pride and honor, given what she knew about samurai. The only person treating her normally was Shinobu, whom Keika thought reminded her of her adopted sister Kanako when she was younger. That, and the girl could cook like nobody's business, which Keika was thankful for.

Still, Keika was tired, and she wanted nothing more to do now than to lay there on her futon, close her eyes, and not be bothered til-

"Hey, Kei, open up." a voice, recognizable as Haruka's, called from the outside side of the door.

Groaning out of disappointment, Keika hoisted herself back up into a sitting position, her eyes half closed as she was half asleep.

"Come in." Keika said, her voice still a rather low mutter.

Haruka did indeed come in, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary… until Keika caught sight of the name on the piece of paper Haruka had in her hand.

"No…" was all the, now fully awake and mildly distraught, Keika was able to squeak out as her face drained of any and all color.

"I take it you know what's on this fax." Haruka stated, rather than asked, as she held up the paper that was signed by Keika's own mother.

Keika didn't respond at all, though Haruka didn't need her to in order to know the answer. The older woman slowly sat down in front of Keika, who had her head hung rather shamefully as the fax was placed between them.

"Your parents didn't kick you out because you failed, did they?" Haruka asked, though it was more or less rhetorical.

"…no…" Keika responded softly, hoping that Kitsune, who was in the room next to hers, was not awake and/or listening in "… it was only part of the reason… a small part…"

"So the fax is…?"

"…probably telling the truth…"

Haruka let loose a sigh, pulling another cigarette from her pack as she felt her nerves begin to throb. She figured she'd have to smoke a whole pack after this.

"Look, Kei, I'm not like my sister; we've always been polar opposites when it came to things like this." Haruka explained in an attempt to cheer Kei up a bit "Honestly, I'm fine with your choice, and I know that Hina would support you herself as well."

Keika smiled a bit, but it was both shallow and fleeting. Haruka, sensing that she couldn't really say much to the young woman before her at the moment, attempted to take hold of the fax once more and then make her way back to the tea shop, and her living quarters.

"No!" Keika said simply, quickly making a grab for the fax and succeeding before Haruka had took hold of it "I mean, I want to know what they…"

"Look, I understand." Haruka stated with a nod of approval "Just don't beat yourself up over it; they'll come around eventually."

'_I hope…'_

Keika nodded in acceptance of the 'terms', and Haruka slowly took her leave, leaving the young brunette to deal with the situation on her terms, and her terms only.

'_I get the feeling she has a long, hard journey ahead of her now…'_

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_End Chapter 1_

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_Author's Note: Well, I believe I had a point of interest in the story that might need a bit o' explainin', so here be the explainin'…_

_(1) Okay, if it's possible for two ki attacks to strike each other midair, how much of a stretch would it be for someone using ki to grab another attack if they knew how? Anyway, I wanted Keika to be a bit more awesome than Keitaro was, but not Mary-Sue-ish (let me know if I did that though, for future reference)_

_Anyway, there it is. I ask that you, the readers, take the time to give me your thoughts. This is my first fanfiction on here, and I don't want it to be too much of a bust. So once again: please review!_


	2. Out

_Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, nor am I making money from this._

_**WARNING: NONE THAT WEREN'T IN CHAPTER 1  
**_

_Authors Note: Well, given that at least a few people like this, and I apparently didn't royally bomb it in chapter 1, I think this fic'll keep on going. Anyway, I had a few reviews that required answering… but due to the number of questions, I'll simply say this and put more effort into the writing:_

_Wait and see; the answers shall be revealed with time. Oh, and read the stuff at the bottom of the page; it should answer several questions._

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_**Love Hina: All-Girls Dorm Edition**_

_Chapter 2: Out...  
_

* * *

"Ano… Keika-san?" Shinobu called out softly as she knocked at the door to Keika's room "It's time for breakfast."

She didn't hear a response though, so she tried again, only a bit louder this time. Once more, she heard no response, so she figured she'd have to go in and physically wake her. After opening the door though, Shinobu noticed that Keika was nowhere to be found in the room. In fact, if it weren't for the study materials stacked on the desk, Shinobu would have thought the room to be empty of any previous inhabitants.

"…where is Keika-san?" Shinobu wondered aloud before leaving to search the rest of the rooms.

Then, thirty minutes later, Shinobu would wind up down at the dining room where everyone but Keika and herself was already eating.

"'bout time ya got here girl, we already started ya know?" Kitsune said from her place nearby, for once not with a hangover obscuring her will to eat.

"What took you so long?" Naru asked as she too had begun eating alongside Kitsune.

"Ano, I was looking for Keika-san." Shinobu explained softly "I can't seem to find her anywhere…"

"Did ya check the bath? That's where Naru and I found 'er yesterday." Kitsune offered up, but Shinobu nodded that she had.

"What about the roof?" Motoko asked as she politely went about her process of eating.

"…no, that's the only place I didn't look." Shinobu admitted, a bit embarrassed at having overlooked that spot.

"Why would she be on the roof?" Naru asked, a bit confused by the notion "I thought the only person who went to the roof was you Motoko, and that was for training."

"I saw her on my way back from training this morning." Motoko explained as she finished off her last bit of food "She said she was going to go up for a bit, though I did not think to ask why."

"Ya think she practices martial arts too?" Kitsune asked the group "I mean, she did stop that wind attack thing ya used Motoko."

"Don't remind me…" Motoko said under her breath with a blush as she stood from the table " Further, it would not surprise me if Urashima-san has had or does practice martial arts; I've been training my whole life, and I would never dare attempt to catch an attack like she did."

"So she's better than ya, eh Motoko?" Kitsune teased, moments before Motoko left the room without answering.

'…_is she?'_ Motoko found herself wondering as she ascended the stairs, her goal being the roof _'I put my all into that attack… and she caught it, maintained it with her own ki, and then dispersed it into nature as if it was nothing...'_

Slowly opening the door to the roof, Motoko made the final ascent to her normal training grounds, and sure enough, Keika was there. What she was doing though was not what Motoko had been expecting. Keika was training, but the method was one Keika had not seen before. She appeared to be meditating in the common lotus position (1), but unlike the meditation Motoko was used to, Keika was also incorporating external ki focusing via a ball of glowing ki between her hands. The ki was quite bright for Motoko, who had been trained to 'read' ki to some degree, but even the untrained eye would have been able to see this ki to some degree.

The ball flickered a bit as Motoko came near, trying her best not to disturb Keika during her meditation. A moment later, the ball of ki faded, and a smiling Keika opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry, you must be ready to train again, right?" Keika said as she slipped her gloves back on her hands quickly before Motoko could catch notice of them "I'll get out of your way then."

"Actually, I came to inform you that breakfast was served almost a half-hour ago." Motoko explained in her normal, polite fashion.

"What? Oh, it's that late?" Keika said, clearly surprised "Wow, I really lost track of time this time; I better head down."

Getting up slowly, but without the need for stretching like most would, Keika began to head down to breakfast.

"One moment, Urashima-san." Motoko asked, seemingly out of the blue.

"Hm? Yes Motoko-san?"

"That meditation, I did not recognize the style it's practiced in." Motoko stated as she turned back to face Keika "Tell me, what style of martial arts do you practice?"

Keika blinked a few times, trying to figure out the question.

"…what?"

"I wish to know what style of ki-based martial arts you practice; I have never seen anyone attempt to grab a ki attack in such a manner as you did yesterday, and I must say I find the concept intriguing." Motoko explained "Would you mind telling me what style you practice?"

"Um… no, I wouldn't mind… but…" Keika began, not quite sure how to word her response as she nervously rubbed her hair.

"But what?"

"Well… I don't practice martial arts, you see." Keika admitted a bit sheepishly "It's just qigong, nothing more."

"Qigong practices do not include external ki manipulations." Motoko stated firmly, her previously emotionless face twisting into a frown.

"… extremely advanced qigong?" Keika offered up at Motoko's growing state of irritation.

Once more, Motoko's frown simply grew a bit more. Keika visibly gulped.

"… Soyokaze-ryu,"(2) Keika finally admitted with a sigh as she sat down in front of Motoko "a pure 'empty force' style."(3)

"I've never heard of Soyokaze-ryu," Motoko said bluntly "Furthermore, I have never seen a 'pure' 'empty force' style."

"You won't; Hina-oba-san and I are the only ones who practice it, me moreso than her, I'd assume." Keika explained, motioning for Motoko to sit down.

Motoko did as requested, sitting down in front of Keika as she began to explain more.

"Soyokaze-ryu is one of the two martial arts styles handed down in the Urashima family, the other is Hiryuuken-ryu."(4) Keiko began to explain "Most Urashima men and women practice Hiryuuken-ryu because it's the more physical style. Occasionally, an Urashima will opt to practice Soyokaze-ryu, sometimes because it's more of a challenge, sometimes because it's more fit for a thinker than a fighter, and sometimes, like myself, because they don't have the coordination to do the other."

'_Not enough coordination? She was dodging like a master!'_ Motoko thought inwardly, though it didn't show on her face.

"My mother knows Hiryuuken-ryu, as does my adopted sister Kanako, Haruka-oba-san, and Hina-oba-san."

"But you said Hina-oba-san knew Soyokaze-ryu." Motoko pointed out.

"Hina-oba-san knows both." Keika clarified "When she got older, she learned Soyokaze-ryu to supplement her physical abilities in Hiryuuken-ryu. She's the one who taught me the art."

"Go on…" Motoko urged, now wonderfully interested in the story.

"Because of how clumsy I was when I was younger, mother suggested I learn Soyokaze-ryu instead of Hiryuuken-ryu, so we came to stay at Hinata-sou when I was four so Hina-oba-san could begin to teach me." Keika continued to explain "It requires more meditation than most would ever dream of, though sometimes it's suggested that the practitioners take up running, acrobatics, or something to supplement the little necessary physical prowess the art requires."

'_I'm guessing she took up running instead of acrobatics.'_ Motoko thought to herself.

"But anyway, the point of Soyokaze-ryu is to master the use of ki in every respect: Internally, externally, offensively, defensively, support, and healing." Keika continued "Hina-oba-san and I would occasionally spar with neither of us moving an inch on the ground, and without landing a physical blow throughout the entire match."

"That's… impressive." Motoko voiced aloud, imagining just how a match like that would work.

"Thanks, but dodging like mine isn't something that comes with the style." Keika admitted with a blush "The dodging is something I added in when I realized that I didn't want to stand and fight anymore."

"Didn't want to fight anymore?" Motoko repeated/asked with a furrowed brow "You simply quit the art?"

"Well… I quit the offensive parts; I still practice the defensive, supportive, and healing portions." Keika explained with a weak grin "I just… realized I hate hurting people, so I try to run away instead."

Motoko had no response to that, but it gave her time to realize something.

"If this is an internal family art, then why are you telling me all this?" Motoko asked, confused given what she knew about her own families art.

"I… I figured I could trust you." Keika responded with a grin "That, and I figured it would make a good apology."

"Apology? What do you have to apologize to me for?" Motoko asked, confused with what the older woman meant.

"I figured that my blocking the attack yesterday would bother you, and I wanted to apologize if it did." Keika explained once more, now blushing wildly "I know it's a stupid reason-"

"Yes, it is." Motoko stated bluntly, in which Keika faceplanted as a response "I may not have liked it, but it was still a lesson I was better off learning now instead of later. Further, _I_ should be apologizing to _you_ for attacking you when I was the one in the wrong."

"No, you did what you thought you needed to do to protect everyone." Keika replied as she got up, nursing a slightly bleeding nose from the impact, though she was smiling all the while "So, how about we agree to that we were both-"

A low rumble silenced Keika and surprised Motoko a bit, which is when Keika realized that she hadn't had breakfast yet.

"Wow, um, yeah." Keika babbled as she stood along with a slightly amused Motoko "Um, I'm going to go have a late breakfast… um, see you later?"

Motoko nodded as Keika turned to leave, but once again, Motoko's voice stopped the older woman.

"Urashima-san."

"Y-Yes Motoko-san?"

"Would you join me for training tomorrow?" Motoko asked with a blush "There is no reason for you to have to miss breakfast everyday, and I do not use the entire deck for my katas."

"Um, sure, sounds good." Keika said with blushing grin "I'll meet you out here tomorrow morning then."

Motoko nodded in response once more, watching as the older woman left with a smile on her face.

* * *

Life at Hinata-sou had quickly fallen into a routine after that day when Keika officially became the new kanrinin of Hinata-sou. Kitsune, alongside her teasing, quickly took to asking for loans and extensions that Keika always gave her out of her natural kindness, despite the fact that she knew it would never be paid back. Su made it a daily activity to test her new robots, tanks, assault vehicles, and other mechanical devices on her dear 'Keika-chan', though it was noted in a vast majority of her reports that her devices frequently had large holes appear in them that no physical object could ever cause. Naru became somewhat more civil, but still seemed guarded around her, even when the two began studying together. Shinobu only became ever friendlier to her, and eventually began calling her sempai some time after Keika remembered it was her birthday when everyone else had forgotten.

As for Motoko, the two became friends rather quickly. The two would train together, though it wasn't so much interaction as it was being in the same place at the same time doing the same activity in different ways. The two talked more often, though the conversation typically didn't stray far from what they were doing at the time due to the fact that neither one seemed particularly talkative. Motoko would occasionally help out with Keika's chores and repairs and vice versa, and Keika would occasionally help Motoko out with her ki attacks, given that she was, more or less, a specialist in the field.

But anyway, back to the story. It's currently November, the day when Keika gets the results of her practice exam back…

"I can't believe this…" Keika muttered to herself as she kicked off her shoes at the doorway "2... hell, I have a better chance of getting mom to let me back into the house…"

"Not if ya don't improve your grade ya won't." Kitsune's voice said from the other side of the couch, causing Keika to jump in surprise.

"Kitsune! I, you, uh, just don't do that!" Keika stammered out as she stuffed the sheet back in her bag.

"Chill, I was just messin' with ya, kanrinin-san." Kitsune said, her voice slurring as she held an arm up with a half-empty bottle of sake "Hey, can ya spot me a couple-"

"Sure, I'll get it for you after I grab something to eat." Keika said with a sigh, not wanting to hold any particular argument or discussion at the moment.

"Thanks sugar, you're a really fine gal ya know." Kitsune replied with her ever present half-sloshed grin as Keika headed straight back towards the onsen.

She nearly collapsed as she entered the kitchen, tired, wet, and cold from the trip back in the rain. Luckily, a familiar face was there to greet her.

"Good day, Urashima-san." Motoko said as she took a sip of tea, still soaking wet in her highschool uniform due to the fact that she had just gotten back not too much earlier "How was the practice exam?"

"Sales tax is a higher percent…" Keika muttered as she went to sit down near Motoko, hearing the sounds of loud footsteps that most likely belonged to a thirteen year old gaijin coming in not too far behind her.

"I see…" was all Motoko said, her face expressionless as she went about drinking her tea again.

Surely enough, to Keika's thoughts, Su came bounding in not a moment later, cheerfully clinging onto Motoko, who seemed to be unfazed by it.

"Heyas Motoko-chan! Heyas Keika-chan!" Su greeted overly cheerfully as she clung to Motoko a bit tighter "How ya doin'?"

"Kaolla-san, please use proper Japanese." Motoko chastised lightly as the girl shifted on her back.

"Okies Motoko-chan!" Su replied with a salute, before turning to stare at Keika "Hey, Keika-chan, you gots a letter today!"

For a reason only she knew, Keika felt her blood chill in her veins.

"Oh?" was all Keika manage to say while attempting to look nonchalant.

"Yep! I took it upstairs to your room, 'cause Shinobu wouldn't let me open it." Su admitted innocently, and Keika was silently praising the gods that Shinobu was around to stop Su from opening it.

"Alright, thanks for getting it for me Su." Keika said with a smile, leaving for her room with the thought of food no longer a focus in her mind.

Motoko thought it was a bit odd for Keika to disappear like that over a simple letter, but she kept the thoughts to herself, mainly because it was not her concern, but also because the young girl clinging to her back was also distracting her significantly. As such, Keika made her way up the stairs and to her room without much hassle. As she opened the door, her eyes caught sight of an envelope, and 8.5 x 11, and Keika knew _exactly _what was in the envelope. Still, Keika was compelled to open it, and she sighed as she once again caught sight of the pictures inside it, not bothering to read the note written on the back of each one.

_'Of course... why would I even bother to get my hopes up?'_ Keika mused silently as she replaced the picture into the envelope from which it came, noticing that, as she suspected, this envelope had no return address.

She carefully slid over to her desk, opened the bottommost drawer, and began to pull out the vast amount of study material that was crammed into it. At the bottom sat the fax Haruka had received, and Keika carefully slid the envelope on top of it. She had just finished replacing all the study material back in the drawer when the door to her room opened, revealing Naru in her 'study outfit'.

"How'd you do on the test?" Naru asked, getting straight to business as usual.

"Not good..." Keika muttered, her mind still focused on the envelope and it's contents to remember the exact percentage.

"Hm, baka." Naru muttered as she sat down on 'her' end of the kotatsu to prepare "Maybe you should spend less time 'meditating' and more time studying."

Keika didn't respond, still preoccupied with her own thoughts.

"Are you listening?" Naru asked, now a bit irritated.

"Wha? Oh, sorry, I was distracted." Keika replied with a blush "So... calculus or trig today?"

* * *

"Uh... my ribs..." Keika moaned face first into her futon "Please... PLEASE let Motoko get back soon..."

Motoko had been gone for two days on a 'kendo camp' trip, or something of that nature. Su, who considered Motoko her favorite playmate still, was left with nobody to sleep with or hang around with. So, naturally, she clung to her second favorite playmate: Keika. Motoko had warned her that Su liked to grab things in her sleep, but she had failed to mention that when Su grabbed things, it was with a deathgrip. So, the last two nights Keika had awoken the entire house with her screams of pain, accompanied with the sound of popping flesh and cracking bone.

"Su is pushing the limits of my ability to heal myself..." Keika continued to moan into her futon, though she knew it was an exaggeration "Thank the gods she gets back today..."

She didn't even hear Su enter the room moments before, but she sure felt it when the young girl landed on the small of her back, driving her heels into her kidneys, eliciting a silent scream.

"Heyas Keika-chan! I'm back!" Su shouted as she proceeded to sit down on Keika's rump "I wanna play!"

"Su... can't... need... study..." Keika managed through gasps and waves of pain from the sneak attack on her kidneys "play later..."

"Ah... but I wanna play now!" Su whined, her face twisting into a pout "Pleeaase?!"

"No." Keika said as she tried to sit up, forcing Su to flip backwards and end up crouched on the floor behind her "I haven't been able to study for the past two days."

"But-"

"No Su, I _really_ have to study." Keika emphasized as she turned around to face the pouting Su, who was seriously pulling off the 'cute' look at the moment "...Kitsune should be able to play."

Su was silent for a moment, but then got up and left quietly and of her own will, leaving Keika in peace. Keika sighed in relief, clutching her back and stretching to fix her spine after the 'attack'.

_'Good, now I can study...'_

* * *

About two hours later...

Keika was returning back from the kitchen, since she had stayed back to help Shinobu clean up after lunch. It was a good break from studying, and she had learned that taking a break every once in a while actually helped the learning process. Though she subconsciously doubted that it would matter if she took a break or not, Keika figured it was at least a more restful way of studying if nothing more. As she neared her room though, she thought she heard someone in her room. By the time she was at the door, she heard someone speaking inside.

"Hey, theres stuff hidden down here." the voice, clearly Su by the sound of it, said to no one in particular.

Keika's eyes went wide in an instant, and she threw the door open to find Su sitting in her room, which was now disheveled with study materials strewn about everywhere. The young gaijin was sitting in front of Keika's desk, the bottommost drawer open, and in her hands was the envelope and the fax she had tried to keep hidden. As if both were too shocked to move, the two simply stared at each other for several moments before both reacted at once.

"Su!" Keika shouted as the young girl, now smiling widely, stood up with the two paper articles in her hand.

"Why'd ya hide these Keika-chan?!" the young girl teased "They a seeecret or somthin'?"

"Su! Please, give those to me!" Keika pleaded with the younger girl, slowly working her way closer to the girl, trying her best not to appear suspicious.

"I wanna see what they-" Su continued as she began to open the envelope, which is when Keika pounced.

However, the young girl leaped over her lunge, landing on her head and proceeding to leap off towards the door. Keika was up in an instant, following Su out the door and down further into the hallway.

"Give that back Su!" Keika shouted, more out of her fear than out of anger.

"Catch me first!" was Su's laughing retort as the girl rounded a corner at a speed Keika thought impossible.

The older brunette chased the young gaijin throughout the second floor, then up into and throughout the third floor, and finally Su managed to head up onto the roof, ending up in a corner with a wheezing Keika right behind her.

"Su... give me... the papers." Keika asked once more amidst deep breaths, slowly approaching the young gaijin, being prepared if the girl tried to make a run for it.

Su leapt back onto the railing balancing on it like it was nothing.

"You have to catch me first!" Su exclaimed, and then did something Keika wasn't expecting.

Su jumped over the edge.

"SU!!" Keika shouted as she followed the young girl off, taking brief notice of the fact that there were four other figures standing just outside the entrance to the dorm.

Aside from the fact that Keika's plan was poorly thought out, it also proved unnecessary as the young gaijin took hold of the second story balcony to Kitsune's room, saving herself as if it was nothing. Keika knew she wouldn't be able to manage that, so she quickly focused her ki and pointed it at the paper objects in Su's hand.

"Ougi: Kazekiri!" Keika shouted as she fell, her hand extended in a knife strike as a wave of ki shot forth, catching the papers and shredding them in an instant.

Keika sighed in relief for a moment... then she realized that she was about to strike the ground after jumping from the roof.

_'This is going to hurt...'_ Keika thought as she braced for impact, which occurred a moment later.

She struck the ground hard on her left shoulder, a loud pop pervading the area as the shoulder dislocated, and then she began to roll across the ground on purpose to reduce how much force she took in the fall. Eventually she stopped when she rolled into a tree, though now she ached, had a dislocated shoulder, and was winded.

_'I destroyed them though... all's safe again.'_ Keika thought as she began to focus on healing herself, which was difficult with the pain in her shoulder and the fact that it messed up her meridians.(5)

"Gawd Keika, what the hell were ya thinkin' girl?" the voice of an approaching Kitsune called out to Keika, and the target of said statement could easily tell the girl was already shit-faced from sake.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?!" the voice of none other than Naru shouted as she crouched down next to Keika's head, lifting the older girl up and noticing her shoulder "You really messed yourself up!"

"I'm fine." Keika stated, still relishing in the relief she felt "I just need to fix my shoulder and-"

"B-But your shoulder-" Shinobu, who was clearly distraught at the sight of Keika's awkwardly hanging shoulder, whimpered with tears in her eyes.

"I just... need to knock it back into place." Keika said as she shifted to lean against the tree she had run into "Really, I'm fine."

"What were you doing, Urashima-san?" the voice Keika was both dreading and hoping to hear asked from Keika's right.

"Motoko-san? Thank the gods you were here." Keika said in exasperation "I don't think I'd live another day as Su's playmate..."

"Su did this to ya?" Kitsune asked, still sounding rather sloshed.

"I... she jumped off the roof, and I didn't know she'd grab onto the second floor railing." Keika explained as she tried to pop her shoulder back into place, which was painfully ineffective.

"Oh, yeah, I hated it when she did that." Kitsune mused softly, taking another swig from the sake bottle she had.

"Let me help, Urashima-san." Motoko said, crouching down in front of Keika and placing a hand on either side of the shoulder "When I count to three, I want you to hold your breath, got it?"

_'She's going to do it on two, just like everyone else.'_ Keika mused quietly, but she nodded her head all the same.

Motoko took that moment to check her grip before she began the count.

"One." Motoko said, then she immediately popped the joint back together.

"I'm gonna be sick!" Naru exclaimed at the sound of the joint going back together, and Shinobu seemed to faint at the sound and sight.

Keika, of course, was screaming in pain and digging her other hand into the dirt rather roughly.

"Ah! Everyone does it on two!" Keika growled as she tried to will her pain away "Gods, that hurts!"

"It should be fine, you should be able to take care of it from here." Motoko explained, seemingly unfazed by the action she had performed "Are there any other injuries?"

"Ah, no, no, everything else is fine." Keika said as she started moving her shoulder a bit, her healing ki already repairing whatever damage had been done, now that her meridians were back in order "Just a little sore."

"Ya should be glad ya ain't dead." Kitsune stated, currently crouched next to Shinobu and slowly reviving her "I'd at least be in the ER right now if ah fell off the roof like that."

"What the hell were you and Su doing that it sent you two over the railing?" Naru asked, her worry appearing more as anger than anything else.

"I... I was chasing Su." Keika said, blushing as she knew that it sounded exceptionally stupid for her to be chasing a thirteen year old girl around like that.

"You were chasing her? What for?" Motoko asked, and the answer made itself known from the tree above.

"I found something private in Keika-chan's room." Su's declared from the limb above Keika, from which the gaijin was hanging upside down from "She destroyed most of it though..."

Quickly getting over the surprise of finding Su directly above her, Keika quickly had the words sink in.

"...most...?" Keika repeated in naught but a squeak, and she paled significantly as she saw the paper in Su's hands.

"Yep! You missed one of the pictures of you!" Su announced, then brought the tattered photograph up for all the girls to see. "See?"

The picture was in black and white, but the clarity was perfect, despite the fact that it was tattered across all the edges. It was obviously an image from a security tape, based on the time-date stamp barely visible in one corner, but the main focus was on what and where, the latter of which seeming to be answered with 'in a bathroom'. 'What' happened to be an image of two girls, one in a relative state of toplessness, and the other reaching down past the near-topless girl's waistband. The two appeared to be locked in a rather passionate embrace, their lips locked tightly. One girl was a, most likely, blond and was unfamiliar to the girls of Hinata-sou, but the other, the one that was nearly topless, was most likely a brunette with unmistakable messy bangs and a relatively short ponytail.

"Oh mah gawd... that's..." Kitsune said, her eyes wide and unblinking.

Naru was a blubbering mass of incoherent thought, and Shinobu looked embarrassed enough to faint again. Motoko was looking on with wide eyes, though unlike Kitsune, she did not vocalize her thoughts. Keika on the other hand, currently had tears streaming down her eyes.

"Urashima-" Motoko finally began after she had found her voice, but she was caught off guard as Keika rammed into her shoulder, knocking her over as the older brunette fled down the steps of Hinata-sou, the tears flying off her face as she simply ran, hoping to escape it all.

"...what's wrong with Keika-chan?" Su asked innocently, honestly having no clue what was wrong, or what she had done.

"Ah... ah think ya just outed 'er Su." Kitsune said, her eyes still lingering on the image "Ah don't think she wanted us ta see that pic there."

"Oh my god! She's... she's a..." Naru began to babble on "Oh lord she's seen us all in the bath!"

"I-I-Is th-that s-sempai?!" Shinobu squeaked out, pointing to the one pressed up against the wall "Is sh-she k-kiss, kissing..."

"Ah think so Shinobu." Kitsune answered, still a bit in awe "Wow, Ah never would'a guessed it... what about you Mo... where'd Motoko go?"

The Aoyama samurai was nowhere to be found...

* * *

_End Chapter 2_

* * *

_Author's Note: Alright, first to explain the footnotes:_

_(1) The lotus position is the position always portrayed in cartoons and stuff… basically sitting cross-legged with your back straight and head held up with your arms at your sides._

_(2) Soyokaze-ryu translates into Soft Wind Style_

_(3) Empty Force refers to martial arts techniques involving ki, qi, or chi only; there are no physical strikes involved in a empty force technique. Note that there are not true empty force styles._

_(4) Hiryuuken-ryu translates into Flying Dragon Fist Style_

_(5) Meridians are kinda like ki pathways... more or less_

_Alright, now I would like to say that I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and though it is a bit of a cliffie, I promise you that not only will the next update be a LOT better, but it will also be a lot faster in the update time. Just bare with me for now; everything has a habit of working itself out given enough time. Oh, and please review so I can get some input. The more input I get, the better I can make this fic to suit your tastes._


	3. Not Quite FUBAR

_Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, nor am I making money from this._

_**WARNING: None that weren't in the last two chapters.**_

_Authors Note: Well, what'd I say? Didn't take nearly as long as the last one, though the next one, or the one after, might take over a week due to uncontrollable circumstances. It all depends on what I can get done before the weekend. Anyhow, thanks to those who reviewed, and I hope you enjoy._

* * *

_**Love Hina: All-Girls Dorm Edition**_

_Chapter 3: Not quite FUBAR_

* * *

She didn't know where she was running to. She didn't _care_ where she was running to. To be honest, all she cared about was getting as far away from Hinata-sou as possible, though the lack of shoes was not making it very easy on her, especially the few times she'd hit a sharp rock or glass. It was a minor hindrance though, and she simply kept running, even through the crowds and streets of Hinata until she finally tripped passing through an alley, sending her sprawling to the ground.

She didn't get up; she didn't _want_ to get up. She wanted time to reverse itself to the day she made that stupid mistake so she could correct it. She struck the ground as hard as she could, and then again, and a third time as her knuckles started to bleed from the force of the strikes, though they quickly healed when she stopped. The tears simply kept falling all the while, and she kept finding herself remembering the looks on the Hinata-girls faces as they saw the image.

'_Dammit… I should have destroyed those things earlier… why did I keep them?'_ Keika mentally berated herself _'Why did I have to make all those stupid mistakes? Dammit, mom was right…'_

Eventually, Keika made her way to sitting up, and she eventually moved to sitting with her back against the wall of a building, a dumpster obscuring most of her from sight by the nearby street. There she let the tears flow, crying her heart out as she continued to mentally berate herself, staring down at her palms when her mind got back around to 'stupid mistakes' or 'lapses in judgement'.

She eventually heard footsteps, but she didn't care. The footsteps stopped in front of her, but she didn't bother to look up from her gloved palms. She hoped the stranger would simply stare at her and let her pass, or maybe just go ahead and kill her so she'd be done with it all.

'_It's not like I have anywhere else to go, now that the girls at Hinata-sou undoubtedly hate me with every fiber of their beings…'_ Keika mused in bitter silence _'They probably think I'm some kind of monster…'_

"Urashima." the source of the footsteps called down to her, and Keika's head shot up in surprise to gaze at a certain Aoyama blademistress.

"…Motoko…" was all Keika could manage.

She had _never_ expected the strict, honor-bound, and noble samurai to come after her.

"Why are you-" Keika tried to ask, but Motoko beat her to it.

"Is there a reason you ran, Urashima." Motoko asked, her face calm and expressionless.

Keika honestly couldn't look the younger girl in the eyes anymore.

"I… I figured I'd save you five the trouble of having to kick me out." Keika replied simply.

"So you were running from a fight again?" Motoko asked, her brow furrowed "A fight you didn't know whether it would happen or not?"

Keika had no response to it; there _was_ the slight, _very_ slight, chance that the girls wouldn't have a problem with her after finding out. After all, her friends… well, they didn't really count due to their being yuri fans, but Haruka seemed fine with her.

"That is rather cowardly of you, Urashima." Motoko stated bluntly, still unmoving from her standing position above the older woman, and still an emotionless mask.

"…I guess that's 'cause I am one…" Keika said, a nervous chuckle escaping her lips.

"I thought that when you said you 'ran away from fights', that you simply tried not to get into physical confrontations, not that you avoid confrontation altogether." Motoko said, the harshness in her voice growing "I can't stand cowards like you!"

The statement wounded Keika, but she felt it was justly deserved anyhow. She wasn't expecting the blade of a sword pointed right in her face though.

"Urashima! I hereby challenge you to a duel!" Motoko announced loudly, catching the ears of a few on the nearby street.

"What?!"

"If you win, then you are free to continue running. If you lose, then you are coming back with me to Hinata-sou and I'm going to help you grow a spine if it kills me." Motoko continued, despite Keika's silent protest "This is _not_ up for discussion."

And so, Keika was then dragged down the alley by her collar, though she didn't put up much of a fight against the Aoyama swordswoman.

* * *

Keika was thrown into the main lobby of a now deserted and soon-to-be-condemned building, landing roughly on the ground quite some distance from Motoko, who shut the door behind them. By now, Keika had realized that Motoko was entirely sincere, and entirely literal, when she had challenged her to a duel. The swordswoman, still clad in her nice highschool outfit, quickly adjusted her blade so she could draw it from the hip.

"Your move, Urashima." Motoko said, her face set with a clear look of determination.

"Motoko! I don't want to-" Keika tried to protest, her hands held up in a passive manner, but that didn't seem to stop the samurai.

"Then I'll go first! Ougi: Zankuusen!" Motoko shouted as she drew her blade and let loose a flying ki attack.

Keika had just enough time to dodge the attack, but barely enough to dodge the physical strike launched at her. Then came what one might have referred to as a dance, with Motoko throwing slashes and stabs that Keika would dodge in what appeared the perfect fashion each time. Then, one ki powered attack later, the two were knocked apart as Keika was blown several feet away.

"You're going to have to fight me if you wish to continue your cowardly ways!" Motoko declared as she took up a ready stance "Battles are not won by mere avoidance!"

"Uh, please! Stop this Motoko!" Keika pleaded as she stood from her place on the ground "I don't want to fight!"

"Then you concede?" Motoko asked, standing up straight and leaving her ready stance "If you submit in defeat, then you will not be allowed to act like a coward anymore."

"But… but I can't…" Keika began, but then realized what the young girl had done.

If she ran, she'd learn to fight, but if she fought, then she had the chance to run. Either way, she had to fight.

'_A mouse trapped in a corner…'_ Keika mused dismally in her mind _'…the mouse always has to fight so it can try to get away…'_

Keika took a deep breath, then she clenched her gloved hands. She slowly slid her legs apart to just past shoulder width, and held her arms at her side in a stance similar to a typical 'mountain' stance.(1) Her own eyes were set with a ferocity, though Motoko's were by far the more fierce. The Aoyama swordsmistress simply smiled, no words needed now.

"Ougi: Zankuusen!"

"Ougi: Kazekiri!"

The two ki attacks struck each other in midair, creating a small explosion and kicking up dust that gave Motoko a good cover to launch a quick dash across the lobby at Keika, who hadn't moved from her spot.

"Kazekiri!" Keika shouted again as she performed a chop, sending another 'blade' of ki flying at Motoko, though she quickly sidestepped it with ease.

As Motoko threw a strike at Keika, the older girl backhanded it with a closed fist, a wave of ki forming a barrier that also repulsed the owner of the offending attack. Having been knocked back, Motoko was caught relatively off guard by Keika's next ki attack.

"Ougi: Zanganken!" Motoko shouted as she cleaved the ki attack in half, the two pieces shattering a pillar on either side of her.

'_So this is Soyokaze-ryu…'_ Motoko silently mused as she and Keika stared each other down, the latter of the two having not yet moved from the spot she had set herself to _'I can see why she said that her sparring matches often had the two of them not moving from one spot on the ground; It's a strong style with an offensive-defense mindset focused on decimating opponents with sheer force and overwhelmingly powerful defenses.'_

Motoko ducked out of her thoughts long enough to dodge a small flurry of ki attacks, though Motoko noted that the defense was much more powerful than any of her ki attacks.

'_She said she hasn't been practicing the offense, but the defense can rebound physical attacks, and she can block the ranged ki attacks with her own.'_ Motoko continued to note as she ducked under another blade of ki _'Still, such a power heavy style can't be maintained for too long. It's like fighting a rapid striker; overwhelming force over a short time due to lack of endurance and high energy draw, though many would be put off by the strong, endurance stance, but that's just for intimidation, it seems.'_

Motoko then made another dash, ki forming around her blade as she went.

'_However, she's out of practice, including her reflexes, and the defenses have a major weakness...'_

"Hiken: Kamaitachi!" Keika shouted as she shot her hands downwards, crossing them in an 'X' shape and sending forth a small whirling collection of ki blades that Motoko barely managed to dodge around, though it did knick her skirt a bit.

At the last possible moment, just as Keika was throwing up a defense, Motoko revealed her attack to be a feint, and she instead leaped up into the air, where she spun for another slash attack, this time powering it with ki.

"Zanganken!" Motoko shouted as she came down on Keika, who, as she had expected, threw up a defense with ease.

However, unlike the last time, Motoko was not knocked back. Instead, she spun around in midair from the force of the defense, bringing the back end of her blade down in front of Keika, pressing it up against her neck, which Keika was shocked at and momentarily paused. The pause gave Motoko enough time to land, and more than enough time to react.

"Gurenken!" Motoko hissed into Keika's ear as the unarmed off hand became enflamed with ki moments before Motoko drove said fist into Keika's lower back.

Now winded and in pain, Keika's strong stance fell apart, which gave Motoko enough time to shift her back side of the blade down across Keika's chest, and to shift off to one side with a foot extended behind Keika's knees. She then threw Keika to the ground with her blade, tripping her with her extended leg, and ensuring that the older woman struck the ground hard enough to keep the wind temporarily knocked out of her. Not a moment later, the point of Motoko's Shishui(2) was pointed at Keika's throat.

Both girls knew who the winner was, so Keika didn't have to say anything for Motoko to slowly remove her blade, then properly sheathing(3) it before offering a hand up to the older brunette, who accepted it in order to sit up to deal with the lack of air in her lungs.

"I apologize for being so rough, Urashima-san." Motoko said politely, amidst the coughing and gasping for air that Keika was doing "It would have been a dishonor to go easy on you."

Keika was still unable to form a response, so she simply gave Motoko a rather Su-like salute. After about a minute, Keika was finally breathing relatively normally, though she was rather tired.

"Uh… haven't…haven't done that in a while… not since Hina…" Keika stated, her breathing still a bit labored "…so, I'm obliged to come back to Hinata-sou now?"

"If you are a woman of honor and morals, then yes." Motoko responded, her face still stern, just as it had been.

Keika laughed a bit, which proved to be a mistake on her currently 'weak' lungs.

"…Hey, Motoko, why are you so set on me coming back to Hinata-sou?" Keika asked, her face turning serious for a moment "I mean… I thought you'd be well…"

"Disgusted?" Motoko finished for the older woman "Pray tell, what reason would I have to be 'disgusted' with you being gay?"

Keika was blushing furiously at the word, but she still managed to form a response this time.

"W-Well, um, because I'm… um…" Keika continued, so maybe it was better to say she 'tried to formulate a response, but failed'.

"Contrary to the modern mindset, Shinmei-ryu teaches us many pre-Meiji restoration ideals.(4)" Motoko explained matter-of-factly "The school's teachings regarding homosexuality fall into that category, though we do have a slightly modern 'romantic' twist to it."

"…I… didn't know that…" Keika said softly "…I screwed up back there… didn't I?"

"Yes." Motoko stated blandly, causing Keika to feel slightly worse "Though I cannot speak of the others, you would have had no confrontation from me."

"Well, yeah-" Keika began to respond, but Motoko cut her off.

"Still, the fact that you avoided the 'potential' confrontation is an altogether different animal, Urashima." Motoko continued with a glare "It implies that you are a coward, and it implies that you are unwilling to stand up for yourself, your beliefs, and who you are. Had I been in your situation, I would have conducted myself in a concise, composed, and orderly fashion, and would have defended my position just as any warrior would have."

"But… I'm not a warrior… and I'm not as strong as you…" Keika mumbled nearly silently.

"And that is what I'm going to help you learn, Urashima-san." Motoko said with a grin "Starting immediately after we return to Hinata-sou."

Keika returned the grin, though it was only half-heartedly. After a few moments, she stood up, noticing how the tall swordsmistress still seemed to tower over her.

"Um… do you… do you want me to explain myself?" Keika asked sheepishly.

"For what?" Motoko asked calmly.

"For the, um… the photo." Keika said, her blush seemingly bright enough to light the dimly lit room.

Motoko too blushed when she remembered the photo, crossing her arms in an attempt to maintain her composure.

"It is not my place to inquire about your personal life." Motoko declared simply "Who you have held an interest in is not something I need to worry myself with."

"…actually… I never held an interest in her…" Keika said a bit sheepishly, but then realized just how that sounded "I-I didn't mean it that way! I meant that the photo is a bit misleading!"

Motoko simply stared at her, not saying anything as the older woman seemed to trip over herself.

"Okay, let me try again…" Keika finally managed to say, but Motoko held a hand up to stop her before she could continue.

"I would recommend waiting until you got to Hinata-sou." Motoko suggested calmly "It is pointless to needlessly explain things more than once, is it not?"

Keika though for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"Fine, I'll just tell all of you at once if need be." Keika said with a smile as the two began to leave "Um, thanks, by the way."

"You're welcome." Motoko replied curtly "But what for, might I ask?"

"To be blunt, it's for kicking my ass…" Keika said, to which she received an odd look from Motoko "… so that I wouldn't end up running away again."

Motoko simply shook her head, though she was smiling all the while.

"Let's just get back to the other girls." Motoko suggested as she began to lead the two of them back to Hinata-sou.

* * *

"Are you ready for this?" Motoko asked, though it was clearly a rhetorical question asked out of being polite.

"No." Keika replied quickly, not needing to think to know the answer "… but I have to do it anyway…"

Motoko nodded in agreement as she opened the door to Hinata-sou. Keika took one last deep breath before she headed in first, to which she didn't find anyone in the main room. She wasn't sure if that was a relief or if that was a means to further torture her.

"Nobody? Odd…" Motoko said thoughtfully as she followed Keika in "Konno-san is normally drunk on the couch about this time."

"Well, it's not exactly been a normal day…" Keika stated blandly as she went ahead and removed her socks, given that they were caked with dirt and grime from outside "Where do you think they are?"

"Beats me…" Motoko replied, but an explosion from above caught both their attentions "…Su's room."

The two girls made their way up the stairs to the third floor, with Keika leading the way, as per Motoko's instructions. Keika passed by Motoko's room in the process, which is when she noticed that Su's room was actually the room adjacent to Motoko's. How Motoko was able to tolerate having the borderline-psychopath next door, Keika was not sure. Still, that thought only lasted a second before the door to Su's room blew open, and a small, flying device flew out and struck Keika roughly in the face, knocking the girl past Motoko and sending her skidding across the, previously clean, floor.

"Aaah… it ran into something again…" the voice of Su whined from inside her room as she approached the door in a hurry "It's not supposed to go that fast until it's within fifty meters of-"

She had just stepped out of her room when she saw the two people she was most wanting to see.

"Motoko-chan! Keika-chan! You're back!" she cried as she bounded down the hallway to where Motoko and Keika was, the former trying to wake the latter from her unconscious state.

"Wha? I'll be damned, they _are_ back." a, still inebriated, Kitsune said as she stumbled to the door "Ah see ya brought our gal back wit'cha, 'toko."

"Sempai!" Shinobu cried as she rushed out not too long after Su "Ano, is she alright?!"

"Uh… my head…" Keika muttered as she blinked her pain away, noticing that her glasses were now cracked "…Motoko-san? That you?"

"Auuu! Su! Your robot gave her a concussion!" Shinobu's voice whined, though it seemed to be coming from the girl looking over Keika's face.

"Oh, Shinobu... sorry, I just can't see without my glas…" Keika said with a smile as she began to sit up, then realized that she was now in the presence of the girls she had run away from not too terribly long ago "Oh, uh, hey Shinobu… and everyone…"

"Why'd ya run off like that Keika-chan?" Su wondered, seeming to pout a bit "Is it because of that picture I found?"

"W-Well, u-um…" Keika nervously began to spew "Y-Yeah, it was from the picture… but I don't blame you Su! I'm not mad at you or anything, honest!"

Su, who was on the verge of becoming royally depressed at having upset her 'Keika-chan', instantly perked up at hearing Keika was okay and wasn't mad. She instantly launched herself onto Keika's lap, wrapping her arms around the older woman tightly.

"Okie dokies Keika-chan!" Su exclaimed as she valiantly attempted to shatter Keika's ribs with her hug "I made you a present though with the other stuffs I found! Be right back with it!"

With that, Su bounded off while leaving Keika to repair her ribcage for the fifth time in the last three days, and to deal with the other two girls nearby that she had run from.

"Uh… gods… nobody else do that please…" Keika moaned as she felt one of her ribs slide back into place with a low 'pop'.

"O-Okay, sempai." Shinobu said softly, the sound of somewhat shuffling footsteps came up from behind her.

"So what was up back tha sugar?" Kitsune's slurred voiced asked, though Keika couldn't see the fox-woman for the life of her.

"I… well… now that I'm rational…" Keika began, glancing at where she thought, and happened to be accurate in, Motoko was "…I was just being stupid… I thought you all would hate me… so I left before you could say anything."

"Pffft! You think ah'd hate you 'cuz you're into women?" Kitsune said with a laugh, though Keika couldn't figure out whether it was actually that humorous a though, or if Kitsune was simply drunk off her ass and laughing at everything "Please, d'ya know how many times ah've been hit on by other women?"

Keika didn't know how to respond to that as she made her way back to her feet, but she silently figured the girl would say something between 'a lot' and 'frequently'.

"Anyway, ah'm fine with it sugar; y'got nothin' ta worry 'bout on my end." Kitsune continued, leaving Keika feeling a lot better off than she was.

"Ano… I-I don't mind that you l-like g-girls, sempai…" Shinobu stated, though Keika could tell the other girl was still a bit nervous around her.

"That… makes me feel a lot better, girls." Keika said, quite happily "I hope this doesn't really change anything between us…"

"Don't worry, it won't." Kitsune said, though she was still a blur to Keika "Don't worry 'bout Su neither; she loves ya all the same."

"That's… good to know." Keika said, though the fact that Su would still try to break her ribs every so often was a bit disheartening still "Now I just need to talk to Naru…"

"Um… N-Naru-sempai might not be um…" Shinobu began, even more nervous than how she was previously talking to Keika "She… well…

"Wha she's tryin' ta say's that Naru didn't take the photo thing too well." Kitsune explained, much to Keika's displeasure at the words "Ya might not wanna talk to her for a while."

'_Four out of five… it's more than I could have hoped for…'_ Keika thought as she sighed and leaned against the nearby wall "Thanks Kitsune... I'll let her cool down a bit."

"No problem sugar, now if ya don't mind, ah need another bottle of sake…" Kitsune said, taking an audible swig before heading past Keika towards the stairs, stopping for a moment just as she reached them "Hey, Shinobu?"

"Yes?"

"Ya mind helpin' me find ma room? Ah can't even figure out which set a' steps is the real one…"

"H-Hai, Kitsune-san." Shinobu said as she hurried to the fox's side, helping her down the steps to her room.

Keika simply remained where she was, leaned up against the wall of the hallway and lost in her thoughts… until Motoko intruded in them.

"Imagine what would have happened had you done this in the first place." Motoko said, and though she could not see it, Keika could simply hear it on the younger girl's face.

"…you're right… thanks again Motoko-san." Keika said, smiling up at the taller-yet-younger woman as she got back to standing upright "But you said you'd-"

"Help you grow a spine if it killed me?" Motoko finished, something that seemed to become automatic for her to do with Keika "Yes, and that starts tomorrow morning at five a.m."

"Um… what am I going to be doing at five in the morning?" Keika asked as Motoko began to walk away.

"You're going to learn Shinmei-ryu under me, apprentice."(5) Motoko said nonchalantly, though she was grinning wildly.

Keika blinked a couple times, then it hit her.

"I'm going to learn wha-oof!" Keika shouted, though a large, metal, heavy object landing on her head made her almost bite her tongue.

"Ya like my present Keika-chan?!" Su said joyfully, bouncing up and down right in front of her.

"…what is it?" Keika slowly asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

"It's a Brain Smarter-Upper! I loaded all your textbooks and study materials in it so that it could download them all into your head in mere minutes!" Su announced happily, though the whole speech simply made Keika pale in fear.

"What? Su, I don't think this is a-"

"Begin!" Su interrupted loudly, pressing the button on her remote control.

Screams were heard throughout the dorm, and all appeared to be moving back to normal once more… except Keika started to believe Su's device to have fried many of the brain cells that allowed her to do math.

* * *

_End Chapter 3_

* * *

_Author's Note: for the footnotes…_

_(1) The stance I'm talking about is the one with bent knees, a wide base, and closely held arms bent at a ninety degree angle with the fists out in front._

_(2) Shisui is the name of Motoko's sword_

_(3) There are four basic steps to iaido (to my knowledge, anyway, and no, I don't know the Japanese names/words). First is the blade drawing and initial cut (first action/step), then, if that fails to kill your opponent/s, the second step is open combat/kendo (second actions/step). Third is the shaking off of blood from the blade, which is done after your opponent is defeated (third action/step), and finally is the sheathing of the blade without looking (fourth action/step)_

_(4) Before the Meiji Restoration period, and before Western culture began to influence many aspects of Japanese culture, the ideals regarding sex, sexuality, homosexuality, prostitution, etc. were vastly different from during and after the Meiji Restoration period._

_(5) This one isn't an actual footnote, but if you all know if a student/apprentice to a master/teacher (the 'sensei') is called a specific name, please inform me. Elsewise, I'll simply stick with what I had planned._

_Now that that's out of the way, I'm gonna try and hurry up with the next chapter so you all don't have to wait so long for an update. If I don't update in the next day or two though, it'll be over a week, so just bare with me till then. Oh, and about the Shinmei-ryu thing, just hold on, it's all part of a plan, as well as an aid for fluff, fanservice, relationship growth, and many other things.  
_

_Please review; your opinions are greatly appreciated._


	4. Christmas Presents

_Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, nor am I making money from this._

_**WARNING: None that wasn't in the previous chapters.**_

_Authors Note: Ano… sorry it took so long to get this up; shit hit the fan, and fanfics kinda took a backseat to life in general. Then there's the Negima story I started up too… but anyway, I wasn't just going to quit this, so here's a nice chapter to make up for the gap. Oh, and about Naru's reaction, since it was brought up a couple'a times: just wait and see, but I promise you she's _not_ homophobic._

_Without further ado…_

* * *

_**Love Hina: All-Girls Dorm Edition**_

_Chapter 4:Christmas Presents_

* * *

"Move Urashima!"

_Boom!_

"Ah! I _am_ moving!"

_Crash! Snap! Boom!_

"No! Don't stop and throw punches like that! Keep _moving_!"

_Crick! Pop! Boom! Crunch!_

"Ah! My shoulder!"

"Suck it up! Now come on!"

"Are you trying to kill me?!"

_BOOM!!_

"AAAHHH!!"

* * *

"Uuuhhh…" Keika whined as she, quite literally, dragged the majority of her up the steps of Hinata-sou, a training garb clad woman behind him.

"We will be late for breakfast if you do not hurry up, Urashima-san." Motoko said matter-of-factly "It would upset Shinobu if we were late."

"I can't feel my legs enough to _walk_!" Keika whined as she continued to drag herself up the steps, most likely doing more damage to her already destroyed 'training garb' (aka. sweatpants and a sweatshirt, though she still wore the gloves, which were the only undamaged articles of clothing).

"You should be used to the training by now, Urashima-san." Motoko said, once again in a matter-of-fact tone of voice "You seem to do so well every other day of the week."

"We don't actually try to kill each other every day of the week!" Keika retorted as she continued dragging herself, now painfully, up the steps "Ah… why did I actually duel you?!"

Eventually, she made it to the top of the steps, which is when Motoko finally gave in and helped out her 'apprentice'. It had been two weeks already since Motoko had begun what Keika had to consider to be the 'training from hell', and she personally found it hard to believe that Motoko was not a deranged psychopath if this is what she had to go through as a child. Still, the first day had been easy…

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

"_Do we have to be up this early?" Keika asked, her eyes barely open in the barely risen sunlight._

"_Early to bed, early to rise." Motoko said simply "Get in your stance."_

"_Wait, you mean the one I fought you with?" Keika asked, simply for clarification._

"_Of course."_

_Mentally shrugging her shoulders, Keika did as she was told and took up her Soyokaze-ryu stance._

"_Now, here is the first reason I'm teaching you Shinmei-ryu: your style does not fit you." Motoko began, receiving a confused look from the woman she was now calling her 'apprentice' "Despite the 'soft' nature of the style, and the fact that there's the chance you won't have to ever physically touch your opponent, the fact remains that the style is an offensive-defensive style focused on power with blocking as the primary defensive technique."_

"_Wow… you figured that out from one fight?" Keika responded, slipping from her stance in amazement._

"_Keep your stance!" Motoko ordered, and Keika followed "Now, such a style is designed for you to 'stand and fight' while not letting the enemy get the chance to attack you by overwhelming them with attacks. Now, that's not necessarily a bad way to fight, but it's not the way you specialize in fighting."_

"_Wha?" Keika asked, confused, but maintaining her stance this time._

"_Which was easier for you yesterday, Urashima-san: blocking my attacks, or dodging my attacks?"_

_Keika thought for a moment._

"…_dodging them." Keika said simply, and then it clicked "But my style teaches me not to dodge, but to block instead!"_

"_Exactly. Further, the nature of the style requires you to be willing to take the initiative in assaulting your opponent, and you have an aversion to harm others, it would seem." Motoko continued, walking around to Keika's back "Plus, it is rather difficult to simultaneously attack and defend with this style, given the power and focus required for each attack or defense. Finally, your style is extremely lethal."_

"_Wait, what?!" Keika retorted in shock "What do you-"_

"_You put a lot of ki and focus into each attack; any single attack yesterday would have easily torn me apart." Motoko explained "Combined with the inappropriate defensive techniques, inappropriate offensive strategy, and your aversion to harming others, this style is wholly inappropriate for you."_

_Keika was dumbfounded for quite some time as she took it all in. She was also surprised at how easily Motoko had picked apart her style, but that was a wholly different type of confusion._

"_So… instead of Soyokaze-ryu, you want to teach me a style that fights with an extremely lethal sword?" Keika asked, now thoroughly confused._

"_It is true that Shinmei-ryu teaches us to fight primarily with a blade, but to rely solely on one's weapon is not only stupid, but asking for you to be killed." Motoko explained, moving back around to Keika's front "We teach a variant unarmed style, though it is not as… strict and structured as the sword forms, so you'll have some ply to… express your abilities to their fullest. The style's basis though is centered around evasion, speed, movement, and is generally far less lethal."_

"_I don't know if I want to learn how to fight better…"_

"_Urashima, you lost the duel, and I intend to make you grow a backbone one way or another." Motoko said, interrupting Keika's protesting "Now, the best way I know to build character is to teach you my art, so that's what I'm going to do, understand?"_

"_H-Hai, Motoko-san-"_

"_That's 'Motoko-sensei' now."_

"_H-Hai M-Motoko-s-sensei!"_

* * *

_End Flashback_

* * *

Then came thirteen days of physical training, since Motoko needed her to be in good shape before she could teach her the style. Keika lost track of how many miles she had run that day alone, and then there were the muscle building exercises…

"Well look who returned! It's the mighty warrior woman duo!" Kitsune announced as Motoko dragged Keika into the room "Who won the battle sugar?"

"Ugh…" was all Keika responded with as Motoko set her into a chair nearby, adjusting her legs so she appeared normal.

"…Ah take it ya didn't win, sugar?" Kitsune asked rhetorically as she saw just how badly damaged Keika appeared to be "Did'ja break her legs Motoko?"

"No. She lost, so she had to run." Motoko said as she calmly as she began to eat her breakfast.

"Seven miles… in an hour…" Keika said as she, rather shakily, dug into her breakfast "Can't… walk…"

"Ano… will you be alright sempai?" Shinobu asked in concern.

"I've… had worse…" Keika said with a forced grin, moments before she fell forward into her food, unconscious.

"AAUUU! Sempai!"

* * *

"Damn, girl, ya runnin' that gal back there ragged." Kitsune said as she and Motoko stepped out of Keika's room, having just finished putting the girl into her futon to sleep off the effects of training "Has she gotten the chance ta study for that test next week?"

"Yes. Luckily, that is one of the things she and Naru still do together." Motoko said calmly, though she was a bit worried for her apprentice "Though they have a tendency to ask me to sit in with them while they study."

"Naru's still a bit paranoid eh?"

"Of course." Motoko answered with a nod "I fail to see why Urashima-san's sexuality would be a problem for Naru; she's not like those perverted friends of hers."

"Well of course _you_ wouldn't, would ya?" Kitsune said with a grin, which got her a glare shot back at her "Oh quit that; it don't work and ya know it."

"Hmph. In regards to your initial concern, Konno-san-"

"Kitsune."

"-Konno-san, it may be tough on her, but the fact that she is willing to endure the hardships is a sign that she is not truly the coward she seems to be at times." Motoko finished explaining "Besides, the only reason it is so hard is because she has had little to no physical training. Though she is quite skilled with ki, Shinmei-ryu requires the mind, body, and spirit to be in unison in order to work effectively."

"Still, she couldn't even _walk_, Motoko."

"I am giving her no more slack than I would any other apprentice." Motoko stated "I am giving her no less either."

Sighing, Kitsune simply made her way to the couch, as the duo had just finished going down the stairs into the main room.

"Whatever… just don't kill 'er, or ruin what th' two of ya have goin'." Kitsune said as she plopped on the couch, switching on a horse race and opening up the sake bottle she had brought with her.

Motoko, though she outwardly rolled her eyes at what Kitsune was saying, did start to think some things over.

* * *

Keika was getting used to waking up at five in the morning. In fact, if she had to be honest, she'd have to say that the training, which had been going on for about four weeks now, wasn't nearly as bad as it had been. She had more energy during the days, and she generally felt better from the physical activity. She actually found herself able to focus on studying better, and her grades even improved because of it. Her grades might have gotten even better if Naru would stop being so paranoid around her and help her more.

Since the incident with Su, things had changed regarding Keika. Though Motoko and Su treated her the same, except for Motoko's training of course, the other girls had changed a bit. Kitsune would use this 'newfound knowledge' to her advantage when asking for money, as well as the brunt of some jokes. Shinobu seemed to always be blushing around Keika, though Keika hadn't a clue why. Then there was Naru, who refused to take baths with her, would misunderstand some statements as being sexually charged, and was generally wary around her. According to Kitsune, a friend of Naru's for quite some time, it wasn't homophobia, but Keika didn't know what else to call Naru's behavior.

But anyway, Keika now had nothing to study as she awaited the results of the mock exam due back at 4:00 pm on December 24, which was today. School was out for the rest of the Hinata-sou girls as well, though she seemed to be the only one without anything to do, besides train with her 'sensei', that is.

_Boom!_

Unfortunately, Motoko _loved_ to train in her free time.

"Remember to keep moving Urashima!" Motok shouted as she swooped in with another ki charged slash.

Keika ducked under the strike and then shot to one side, pausing for the briefest of moments to stop herself and launch at Motoko, her hands layered in enough ki to serve as a means to block a blade. That was a good thing, as the strike was parried by Motoko's blade with a significant ease.

"You're still reserved!" Motoko declared as she through back Keika's punch "Stop trying to hit me, and _hit me already_!"

"Ougi: Zankuushou!" Keika shouted as she threw a punch forward, letting loose a 'bullet' of ki that was quickly dodged by Motoko who threw a bladed version of the same attack back at Keika a moment later.

Keika put up a ki defense, canceling the attack, which is when the fight stopped.

"Urashima!" Motoko shouted harshly "I instructed you to _not_ rely on your previous training!"

"I'm sorry Motoko-sensei! It's reflexive!" Keika replied, cowering a bit under the younger girl's loud voice.

"That's why you _focus_ on _not_ doing it!" Motoko continued, her tone still harsh "Ten miles! You have an hour!"

Silently swearing to herself, Keika looked down at her watch to set the timer…

…and noticed that it was already past four.

"The scores…" Keika muttered, wide eyed "…the scores!"

"What was tha-" Motoko asked just before Keika ran by her faster than she'd expected "Urashima!"

"Sorry sensei! They already released the scores!" was all Keika shouted as she ran through the trees to Hinata-sou "I'll run the twelve miles later!"

Motoko didn't even get the chance to correct the older woman's mileage before she was out of earshot. Motoko did, however, smile, and subtly blush to a degree, as she watched Keika leave her vision.

'_I hope she does well…'_

* * *

"I don't believe this…" Keika muttered as she traversed the steps of Hinata-sou "I… Kami-sama… this is…"

She held her test score out in front of her, mindlessly making her way to the door to Hinata-sou in the process. She would later wonder how she managed to find her way home, but at the moment, that was rather low on her list of concerns. Once inside the dorm, she had sense enough to remove her shoes before continuing on, not noticing until it was too late that Su was about to greet her in a rather Su-like fashion.

"Heyas Keika-chan!" Su shouted as she attempted to dislocate Keika's jaw with a flying side kick, which sent the older woman barreling across the room and over the couch which was, luckily, unoccupied.

"Uh… Su… hey…" Keika managed as she managed to attain her bearings once more "Where's Motoko-sensei?"

"Right here!" Su shouted, as it appeared she had moved to the other side of the room, near to where a banner sat across the way.

Having just noticed the banner, which had 'Merry Christmas' written across it, Keika was surprised to see that every member of the household, save Haruka of course, was looking at her from a table they had set up near their Christmas tree. It didn't escape Keika's attention that Shinobu made a very cute fem-Santa, and that even Motoko had donned a hat in an odd burst of holiday spirit.

"What's this?" Keika asked as she rolled backwards on the couch, landing on her feet once more.

"Well, ah figured ya could use a party 'cuz of the test result." Kitsune answered for the group, already half-way sloshed "How'd ya do by the way?"

"Well…" Keika began as she produced the 'dreaded' paper "…I passed!"

"What?!" was the collective response from the majority of the other tenants.

"Well, just barely with a 70, but I have a twenty-seven percent chance of getting into Toudai!" Keika was exclaiming, clearly overjoyed as she came closer to the table "If my grades keep improving like this…"

"Excellent job, Urashima-san." Motoko congratulated with a wide smile.

"Good job, sempai!" was yet another congratulations from the youngest tenant.

"Well damn, girl! Ah think we just found another reason ta have a party on Christmas Eve!" Kitsune announced as she broke open the bottle of champagne "Merry Christmas y'all!"

And so began the Christmas Eve/Christmas party of Hinata-sou, to which there was much a merrymaking and inebriation… especially the inebriation.

* * *

"Uh… I think… I think that's my limit…" Keika muttered to herself as she wobbled amongst the littered, drunken bodies.

She knew it was a lie; she could have drank twice as much and still be relatively lucid. She never reached that point though, not anymore at least. It was only herself, Motoko, and, to some degree, Naru who were still even awake, and it was all they could do to cover the others up with blankets and sheets retrieved from various areas about the inn. Having covered Shinobu with the last blanket, Keika went to take a seat next to Motoko, who appeared to be faring the best of all of them.

"Leave it to Konno-san to have a party like this…" Motoko muttered under her breath, though she was a lot louder than she thought she was being.

"Yeah… but hey, I don't mind." Keika replied, a short, obviously drunken, giggle escaping her lips "I think that score deserved a good party."

"That was a good score, Keika-ch-ah!" Motoko began, but stopped suddenly "… Urashima-san."

Keika didn't seem to catch it though, and Motoko was thankful.

"You know, I had thought something bad was going to happen today." Keika said with yet another giggle pervading her speech "I guess I was wrong though…"

Not two seconds later, there came a knock at the nearby front door, which startled two of the three inebriated occupants.

"What? Someone's here?" Keika said, furrowing her brow in confusion "It's… 2 am… why would…?"

"Nobody of a legitimate purpose would come here at this hour." Motoko said sternly as she got to her feet "Let me handle this."

"No no, I've got it." Keika said, getting up and making sure to block Motoko's path "Just stay behind me, in case something's up."

Motoko nodded, knowing that, unlike herself, Keika could heal anything short of a decapitation or dismemberment. That, and Motoko didn't trust her own judgement when drunk like she was. So, Keika went to the door, opened it slowly, and revealed that out in the cold snow there was…

…nobody. Just snow, and footprints that were either a younger person's or a woman's. Motoko and herself took a few steps out into the cold, which sobered them a bit, and it wasn't until Motoko stepped on a sheet of paper that she said anything.

"What's this?" Motoko said aloud as she retrieved the sheet, which turned out to be a photograph that she could see with the light from the house.

Motoko's eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped. Keika noticed Motoko's expression, and came over to see what was on the photo. Her eyes too went wide, her face paling as she saw the image in the photo. It was of a woman's torso, a rather well endowed one at that. She wore a red blouse, which was unbuttoned entirely and held open with the woman's hands. There, in the center of the woman's chest was a scar in a starbust pattern, spreading slightly onto the edges of her breasts.

That, however, wasn't what had Keika frightened to the bone. No, what scared her were the kanji written up on either side of the image.

_Remember me, Keika-chan? I remember you…_

"…Urashima-san…" Motoko finally managed to say "What is _this_?"

Keika didn't respond. She _couldn't_ respond. Instead she did the one thing she could manage: she broke down and wept, then and there in the cold and the snow.

* * *

_End Chapter 4_

* * *

_Author's Note: Well, there ya go. You know the drill: Review please! If I know people like the fic, I'll keep it a-goin'! Hopefully the next update won't take so long; I don't like making you all think this is a 'dead' fic. It _will_ be completed, or (insert extreme punishment here)! But yeah, please review, and please offer suggestions if you have them, for they are appreciated wholly and honestly._


	5. From Bad to Worse to Better

_Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, nor am I making money from this._

_**WARNING: Contains some sensual details/descriptions in this chapter.**_

_Authors Note: Like I had said: I was planning on having this update be quicker than my last one… so here's the next chapter, which was started before I even got one review. Onwards!_

* * *

_**Love Hina: All-Girls Dorm Edition**_

_Chapter 5: From Bad to Worse to Better_

* * *

Keika found herself waking up in her bed, staring upwards at the hole that still existed between her room and Naru's. Her head hurt, as did her eyes, so she trumped it up to the alcohol she had had, though she didn't remember drinking _that_ much. She sat up, and then nearly screamed when she saw that Motoko was right in front of her.

"Finally, you're awake," she said calmly, her face an odd mixture of strength and understanding. "Are you well, Urashima-san?"

"My eyes hurt… damn hangover…" Keika muttered, but noticed her eyes didn't quite hurt like that; it wasn't light sensitivity.

"With as much as you cried, I'd expect them to be hurting." Motoko said, some of that strength she carried disappearing.

Confused for but a moment, Keika soon remembered seeing that photo, reading those words, and then completely breaking down in her drunken state. Aside from chocking that up as another reason she shouldn't drink again, she did hazily remember Motoko, at least she assumed it was Motoko, attempt to comfort her. Eventually, Motoko had managed to walk her up to her room, and from there Keika assumed she had simply passed out from the stress, the alcohol, and the fact that it was after 2 am when she got up there.

"Oh… yeah… I was kinda hoping that was a dream." Keika muttered, her face slowly blushing.

"It wasn't, and I believe you owe me an explanation, Urashima-san." Motoko said, some of that strength coming back for a fleeting moment "I won't push you though; you don't need to upset yourself again. Please be quick though; I will be-"

"Motoko-san… er… Motoko-sensei." Keika said, quickly correcting herself "I was drunk… I get a bit emotional when I'm drunk. Trust me, I'm fine now."

Motoko seemed to look her over for a moment, then decided to finally take her seat.

"Alright, then you can explain now?" Motoko stated and asked all in one, to which Keika nodded "Be quick then; Kitsune-san could wake up soon."

Once more Keika nodded, but it was a bit slower.

"…you remember that photo Su found, right?"

"Of course." Motoko admitted with a blush.

"Well… remember the blond girl?"

* * *

_Flashback-Keika's 19__th__ Birthday Party (at a Bar with her two friends)_

* * *

"_Hey, hehe, Shirai-kun!" a half-way smashed Keika shouted to her friend from across the bar, waving her empty glass around "I ran out again!"_

_Shirai, who was busy hitting on one of the women who worked at the bar, quickly turned around and shot her a 'not right now' glare that was blatantly ignored. Despite that, there appeared another beer in front of Keika, and a moment later there was a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, Keika was face to face with a rather handsome older gentleman, most likely in his thirties, but handsome none the less._

"_This round's on me, beautiful." the man, who was actually a gaijin, said in perfect, unaccented Japanese._

_Keika simply laughed, causing the older gentleman to smile._

"_You, hehe, you'd be better off, hehe, getting another girl drunk." Keika said, obviously rather blunt in her speech at the moment "I'd be, hehe, I'd be more interested in your girlfriend, hehe!"_

_The guy seemed to get the picture, and he eventually disappeared from the picture. A while later, and a couple more beers later, and Keika was pretty out of it as she made her way to the bathroom. She didn't notice the eyes on her though, nor did she see the other woman, a rather attractive blonde, follow her in a few minutes later._

_After she was getting ready to leave, the door to the bathroom opened, and Keika nearly ran into the blonde woman that had, unknowingly to her, followed her in._

"_Hehehe, I'm hehe I'm shorry!" Keika managed amidst her fit of giggles and blurred vision "I hehehe! I think I've had too much, Hi-!"_

_Before she could leave though, Keika found herself being grabbed by both shoulders. Before she even realized that though, she was roughly pushed up against one of the stalls, and a moment later she wasn't even able to speak as soft, full lips pressed into hers. The only thing that kept her from freaking out was the alcohol, and the subconscious knowledge that only women were allowed in the women's restroom. Well, that and she recognized the person in her blurry vision._

_But alas, she wasn't thinking that at the moment, instead slowly falling into a somewhat sloppy rhythm of kissing, her tongue losing in a battle for dominance it had no chance at in her state. The blonde's chest was pressed against her, and then a leg between hers that forced Keika to let out a moan amidst her kissing. Keika, being both inebriated and inexperienced (1), was kind of lost as to where her hands were supposed to go, but the other woman was not as 'green'. Keika's shirt was lifted, one hand reaching up and cupping one of her breasts, which brought out another moan from the younger woman. The other hand began to make it's trail down, eventually making it's way down into her pants._

_However, the progression of things hit the metaphorical brick wall the second the blonde's lower hand went lower than Keika felt comfortable with. Jarred back to a small sense of sobriety, Keika's hands, which were previously on the woman's back and shoulders, snuck their way into the inside of the blonde's arms and quickly forced them away from her. Keika was breathless almost, and the blonde look shocked beyond belief._

"_What was _that_?!" the blonde woman, who was speaking in exceptionally proper Japanese, seemed to hiss "What the hell do you think you're doing, shoving me away like that?!"_

"_L-Look, Hideko-chan, I'm not… I can't here." Keika tried to explain, pressing harder against the stall wall at her back "I… I know-"_

"_You're stonewalling me _again_?!" the blonde, Hideko, growled "We've been going out in secret, at your request mind you, for _three months_, and we've never slept together, not once! What the hell are you waiting for?! To get _married_?! You and I both know that can never happen!"_

"_N-No! I just don't want it to happen so soon… and certainly not here in a bathroom…" Keika tried to explain._

"_Soon? _Soon_?! It's been three months! When will 'too soon' end?! Dammit, Keika, I've given you every chance! I've done all but literally bend over backwards in this relationship, and what have I gotten for it?!"_

"_Hideko..."_

"_Nothing! We've taken it slow, we've kept it a secret, but you've never heeded any of _my_ wishes, have you, Keika-_chan_?!" Hideko continued, slamming an open palm into the pseudo-wall near Keika's ear, causing said ear to ring loudly._

_The disdain that the suffix was used with really got to Keika, combined with the ringing in her ear and the fact that she was sick of the yelling. She was sick of Hideko's perpetual pressuring and controlling attitude. She was sick of everything._

"_The only two things you've wanted have been sex and to control me." Keika said, slowly and meticulously, though it got slurred by the alcohol in her system "If that's what you want, you'd better find it somewhere else."_

_Hideko blinked a few times, then turned her face into the deepest scowl she'd had in a while._

"_Are you… are you trying to leave me?" was the blonde's barely controlled question "You're trying to leave me because I want a _normal_ relationship?!"_

"_Normal relationship? It's not a relationship if you treat me like your property!" Keika retorted, moving away from the wall some, staring the other girl down "I'm not, and I won't be! Now move and let me go!"_

"_No." was the firm response from Hideko, which was oddly calm given the circumstances "Not until _I_ finally get what _I_ want!"_

_The blonde grabbed her chest once more, but it was rough and it hurt… substantially. Keika's training kicked in then, forcing her to bring her hands forward, placing them within centimeters of the blonde's chest. It all happened in a flash, and a moment later Hideko was on the other side of the bathroom, the front of her top blown away and a starburst shaped ki-burn on her chest. Keika's hands were smoking a bit, and they hurt to beat the band. Keika's breathing was heavy as she noticed the blood on the wall, and the rather large burn wound on the girl before her._

_For the first time in her life, Keika ran after a fight. She ran, eyes streaming, out of the bar and towards her home. Silently she prayed it was all just a dream, though the scars on her hands the next day would tell her otherwise._

* * *

_End Flashback_

* * *

Keika, having finished her explanation of the event to a stoic Motoko, slowly removed the gloves that she was no longer seen without. Slowly, with the palms facing herself, the gloves came off, and only when both were off and set to the side did Keika extend her palms outwards. Motoko, though having expected to see something similar to this, was still shocked by what she saw.

With her thumbs pressed together, palms open and fingers outstretched, the scars on Keika's hands formed a starburst pattern similar to the one in the image from earlier that morning. The burn only appeared on her thumbs and palms though, except for her left ring finger that had a long, winding scar around it. That particular part of the scar was thin and wrapped around her finger three times before ending in a point at the very tip of her finger. By Motoko's observation, the ki based burn was due to using too much intense ki without the proper control, which would correlate with the story she had just been told. (2)

"I… I see…" Motoko said, struggling to keep her composure as Keika began to replace the gloves back on her hands "So… that image was your ex-girlfriend, Hideko?"

"Yeah." Keika said solemnly as she slipped her second glove on "Ever since then, she's been… doing things like that."

"She's been _stalking_ you?" Motoko said with an acid that made Keika wince.

Keika didn't respond, but then again, she didn't need to.

"You're being stalked, and yet you failed to mention it to me? To _anyone_?!" Motoko growled out, becoming more irritated by the moment "Did you stop to think that-"

"Yes! Of course I did!" Keika hissed back, harsher than she had expected to "The only thing she's done is attempt to out me to anyone that matters, then turn them against me! She started sending 'evidence' of my interest to my friends and direct family! Hell, she started with Shirai and Haitani, but you know how those guys are; they thought it was great that their only female friend was a lesbian! Then she sent crap to my parent's house, they confronted me, my secret came out, and they kicked me out because of it! Shirai and Haitani have been stopping her from sending stuff to the school, though I don't know how they do it, and then she started sending crap here when she figured out I've moved here!"

Finally taking a breath, she then calmed herself a bit.

"Besides, I know her. She would have done something now if she was ever going to." Keika finally said, her voice calm, yet simultaneously melancholy "No, she'll just try to get you all to turn against me until I come crawling back to her so she can…"

"Have you informed the police?" Motoko asked.

"I… I don't think that's a good idea…" Keika admitted "Her uncle's a police officer near my old home, and they tend to get a bit… sensitive when family gets accused of something like that."

Motoko knew that to be truth, and Motoko was slowly understanding why Keika was so good at running.

"Still, we will not simply sit here and let your stalker harass you like this." Motoko declared "If nothing else, Kaolla-san can rig a security system around the grounds, and I'm sure we can up your training a bit as well."

"That… sounds okay..." Keika admitted "…so long as Su-chan makes it non-lethal…"

"Regardless, I will not sit here and let my deshi (AN: thanks to Trek1030 for this word, meaning 'student') be harassed like this." Motoko declared, though she was blushing oddly for some reason.

Keika actually noticed it this time, but didn't say anything.

"Well… alright. I guess a change in tactics is in order, huh?" Keika said with an honest smile "How is it that you can always convince me to choose the hard, right path?"

It was rhetorical of course, but it did have the effect of forcing Motoko's blush to brighten.

"A-Anyway, I should go check on the others. Konno-san and Kaolla-san should be fine, but Maehara-san doesn't recover too well." Motoko said as she stood up.

"Yeah, I should probably come check on them too." Keika said, suddenly realizing how much better she felt after telling someone what was going on "Will we be training later?"

"…I think we can let you rest today." Motoko said with a grin "It is Christmas after all."

The sound of someone retching, rather loudly, in the second floor bathroom interrupted the two, and pulled them back to reality.

"…well, I think we know how Shinobu-chan's doing…" Keika muttered grimly as she and her sensei/friend began to head towards the younger girl's location.

* * *

Christmas passed relatively without further incident, aside from having to take care of a quite hung over Shinobu, that is. New Years came up too quickly for the tenants of the house, but Keika was thankful that she got 'moderate' luck for her yearly fortune, as opposed to 'worst' luck the year prior. January came and went, as did February and it's, surprisingly uneventful, Valentines Day. Even the Center Exams passed relatively well, with Keika passing it with just a hair, like she had her other test.

What Keika noticed though was the fact that things seemed to be looking up for her. Since Su's security system, completely non-lethal of course, was implemented, there had been no more 'incidents' such as the one on Christmas/Eve. The system had been triggered a couple of times, but no person or evidence of a person was ever found. For several months there was neither hide nor hair of Hideko or her 'attacks', and for that Keika was utterly overjoyed.

The freedom from harassment gave Keika the ability to realize and focus on other things, such as studying, the entrance exam, and Motoko. The first two being obvious, but Motoko was an entirely different matter. Keika had to admit that she found the younger-yet-taller girl's confidence, strength, and determination to be utterly admirable, but that wasn't what she was recently noticing. She was noticing that Motoko seemed to be more, well, shy around her, and it became more noticeable as time passed. In fact, Keika had to admit that she had even seen Motoko blush at her for no apparent reason, once or twice at least. It was an odd situation to say the least, but Keika had other things to focus on at that point.

Such as the entrance exam, which she was currently getting back from finding the score of…

The entire tenant listing of Hinata-sou was ready in party format, with a banner, food, and several bottles of, slowly depleting, sake. They had been gone for quite a while, they knew, but the simply figured that they had met train problems or the like. They knew that eventually they would come walking triumphantly through the door, the party would begin, and the dorm would then be two Toudai students bigger.

Like they had assumed, the door eventually opened, but instead of two triumphant Toudai students, there instead appeared one rather disheveled and dirtied brunette. Also, instead of walking in triumphantly, she instead came in with her head held low, her bangs obscuring her eyes. Immediately the crew knew something was up.

"S-Sempai?" Shinobu asked as the older woman began to remove her shoes, slowly and meticulously "Ano… are you alright Sempai?"

"Uh oh… Keika-san?" Kitsune said, not drunk enough yet to not notice the other girl's expression "Where's Naru-san?"

"…she's on a train." Keika replied, her voice oddly monotonous as she began to slowly head toward the stairs "She's heading to Kyoto."

"Wha? Kyoto? Why's she headin' there?" Kitsune asked, her eyes still locked on the brunette.

"… she needed to get away for a while." Keika replied as monotonously as before, but she didn't stop moving "She wanted to get over her failing that way."

A moment of silence passed as Keika finally reached the stairs, and it was only broken by Su trying to 'greet' Keika with a flying side kick. However, unlike the hundreds of other times that Su attempted such a feat, Keika simply grabbed the girl's kick, flipped her over, and threw her onto the couch safely. The others, including a rather impressed Motoko, watched as Keika ascended the stairs slowly until she disappeared from view.

"Sempai…" Shinobu uttered as tears continued to bead up at her eyes.

"…well damn… ah guess there won't be a party t'night…" Kitsune muttered, setting down the sake bottle in a sudden loss of the desire to drink.

Su remained oddly silent on the couch, looking positively defeated as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. Motoko seemed to be in a similar position as well, but eventually all of the Hinata-sou crew began to slowly take apart the party supplies. Motoko left early though, heading up the stairs to Keika's room to find that the older woman was indeed in there, though she appeared to be trying to sleep. Her breathing told Motoko otherwise.

"Urashima-san?" Motoko said quietly as she entered the woman's room "I know you are awake, Urashima-san."

"…yes, Motoko-san?" Keika replied, but didn't turn to look at her.

"You didn't make it, did you?" Motoko asked, though she had a good idea what the answer was.

"…no."

"Please turn to look at me, Urashima-san." Motoko asked politely.

Keika slowly obeyed, and what she revealed to Motoko was a dirtied face, much like the rest of her, small patches of dried blood on her face, and broken glasses.

"What… what happened?" Motoko asked, a bit shaken by what she was seeing.

"…Naru and I hit a bar after we found out our fates." Keika explained "Later on she hit me because she thought I was being a 'pervert' and hitting on her, which I wasn't."

Motoko didn't really know what to say to that.

"I don't understand… I really don't…" Keika admitted as she stared at the ceiling "When I self-scored my tests, I had an eighty three percent average, which is better than I've done on _any_ other test since high school. But my name didn't show up, which means I actually got less than a sixty nine percent average. How can there be that big a discrepancy?"

'_There can't… something doesn't sound right…'_ Motoko thought, but she didn't say anything, as she couldn't think of something that wouldn't make the situation worse.

So, Motoko came up with an idea that she was saving for later, but now would probably be a better time than any other.

"Urashima-san, I have a request for you." Motoko said, her face growing into a blush as she spoke.

"Yes?"

"I need you to meet me downstairs in an hour." Motoko stated, her blush slowly increasing as she spoke "Get cleaned up and dressed in something nice."

Now Keika was giving the standing girl a confused and questioning look from her place on the floor, which was not helping Motoko and her raging blush.

"Uh… why?" she asked slowly, running several scenarios through her head to try to determine what that would be necessary for.

"I… can't tell you yet." Motoko said, feeling childish as she did so "Just meet me downstairs in an hour."

Before Keika had a chance to respond, or Motoko a chance to blush further, the blademistress left the room hurriedly, leaving an expertly confused Keika to do as she was asked.

* * *

The hour had passed, and Keika was downstairs as requested. Having been in a rather depressed mood when she chose her clothing, she wore all black, gloves included, and to some she would appear like an assassin or funeral attendee. She had on her normal style blouse and slacks, but also wore a jacket and a belt to complete the outfit. She had caught the attention of the resident fox, who had taken her, currently sober, self to the couch to watch the races.

"What are ya dressed up for?" Kitsune asked, and Keika noticed her linguistic skill was not nearly as bad as when she was drunk "Did someone… ya know…"

"No, nothing like that." Keika responded "Motoko told me to meet her down here, and to be dressed nicely for… whatever it is she wants me dressed nicely for."

"…you look like you're going to a funeral…" Kitsune pointed out once more, much to keika's disdain.

"I know… I blame it on my mood at the time…" Keika said with an embarrassed blush "It doesn't look that bad though, you have to admit."

"Well, I didn't say it looked _bad_, I just said it looked like-"

"Urashima-san?" another voice cut in from the nearby stairs, catching the attention of the other two in the room.

Motoko stood at the midpoint of the stairs, dressed in her normal colors, but Keika could tell it was a lot higher quality clothing than what she normally trained in. Also, there was a significant absence of her Shishui, which was a signal to Keika that they were heading somewhere she couldn't take the blade.

"I see you've dressed nicely." Motoko said, though she didn't seemed fazed by the dark colors the other woman had chosen.

"You too." Keika replied with a blush, noticing that Motoko had refrained from her usual chest bindings this time.

Motoko blushed as well, mainly because she wasn't used to comments about her appearance.

"So, are you ready?"

"Uh… for what exactly?" Keika asked, still not sure what the situation was, though she was sure she was going somewhere.

"Our date." Motoko replied simply as her blush began to reign again, causing the nearby 'fox' to fall off the couch out of sheer shock.

"Oh, our date, sounds goo-" Keika began nonchalantly, but then her eyes snapped open "Our _what_?!"

"Date. Our first date." Motoko clarified as she averted her eyes in embarrassment.

Silence reigned supreme, until the 'peanut gallery' broke it.

"I'll be damned… I think ah need a drink now…"

* * *

_End Chapter 5_

* * *

_Author's Note: Well, there you all have it: cliffie! Sorry, but it was the perfect way to end this chapter, which I know is a bit darker than some of my others, but I promise it'll be better! Just hold out till then, please?_

_On another note, I've decided to tie this fic into my Mahou Sensei Negima fic 'Spell x Sword', but that won't be till near the end, so it'll be a while._

_As for the footnotes…_

_(1) Yes, it is what you think it is. Keitaro was in the manga, so is Keika._

_(2) I figured that alcohol would mess with one's ability to manipulate ki, just like it messes with one's physical and mental abilities._

_Cya later! Oh, and please remember to review; it is very much appreciated, even if you review for the purpose of constructive criticism.  
_


	6. Theres A First Time For Everything

_Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, nor am I making money from this._

_**WARNING: I'm getting bored writing the same ol' stuff in this part… if you've made it this far, then you know what to expect.**_

_Authors Note: Once again, starting this chapter without any feedback! W00t!1! I will say that I might have to adjust the manga timeline to fit my story, but hopefully I won't have to._

* * *

_**Love Hina: All-Girls Dorm Edition**_

_Chapter 6: There's a First for Everything_

* * *

To be perfectly honest, Keika was on the verge of a nervous breakdown… but in a good way. Here she was leaving Hinata-sou with Aoyama Motoko, a sixteen year old (1) Shinmei-ryu swordsmistress who happened to be tall, strong, and beautiful, on what she herself had defined as a 'date'. To be honest, though Keika had been on other dates before, she was just as nervous as she was about her first date.

It also had felt odd for Motoko to refer to it as their 'first' date, which implied that there would be more to come in the future. Keika thought that was, probably, a good thing… but it still made her nervous as hell.

"So… Motoko-san…" Keika decided to ask as they finished making their way down the steps of Hinata-sou "Where exactly are we heading?"

Motoko, who was still blushing noticeably, had to visibly swallow before she spoke.

"There is a place nearby where I thought we could enjoy a nice evening meal." Motoko explained softly "After that… well… I honestly haven't thought that far ahead yet…"

Keika actually let out a short chuckle, mostly to relieve stress and her nerves. Motoko didn't see it that way though.

"Look Urashima-_deshi_, just because I'm new to this doesn't mean you have the right to laugh at my efforts!" Motoko growled with a deathly glare in her eyes.

"I wasn't! Honestly, I wasn't!" Keika pleaded in her defense "I'm just nervous and laughing helps!"

Motoko seemed to accept this, and calmed back down once more. Then Keika noticed something about Motoko's previous words.

"Motoko-san, is this your first… date?" Keika carefully asked, not wanting to risk upsetting Motoko further as they were now starting to get around people.

Motoko's face lit up like a stoplight, her eyes unable to look in Keika's direction.

"I've never had any relationship related experience." Motoko said a bit vaguely, but it still answered any question Keika might have had about the subject.

'_Never thought I'd meet any girl with less experience than me… and actually go out with them…'_ Keika thought to herself, letting the conversation they could have been having fall into silence for a time.

It left Keika to her thoughts for a bit, and she began to worry about why Motoko was asking her on a date now of all times.

"Motoko-san… why did you want a date today?" Keika asked subtly, though by Motoko's expression it wasn't subtle enough.

"I'm not going on a 'date' with you out of pity, if that's what you're thinking!" Motoko once again growled, but it pacified after a moment "I know it may look that way, but you have my word that I have a legitimate interest in you. I just… thought now would be a good time… given the situation."

A blushing Keika once more accepted this answer, and it once again gave her something to think about.

'_So… she likes me… she, Aoyama Motoko, likes me, Urashima Keika…'_ the older brunette was thinking as she walked side by side with Motoko down the street _'I really never thought a situation like this would ever be possible…'_

Suddenly Motoko stopped, and Keika nearly passed by her because she wasn't entirely focusing on where they were going. Apparently they had arrived, and the restaurant appeared to be the type to serve some of the more traditional meals. It didn't appear too expensive, but it wasn't some fast food type of place either. It also seemed a bit older, given the state of the building, and by the looks of it the place was a family owned business.

"This is the place." Motoko said finally, the blush having never left her face "A friend from school showed me this place a while back. The food is very good, though Maehara-san's is better."

"Well, Shinobu-chan's a prodigy, so that's not really fair to this place." Keika replied, hoping a bit of humor would lighten the mood.

Luckily, it seemed to work, as Motoko was smiling as the two walked in. Once inside, it appeared to be about the same as the outside looked: a bit older and most likely family owned with a traditional style. Keika felt that, given the setting, she was the one who stood out the most, as opposed to the traditionally samurai clad woman to her left.

"Doesn't look too bad…" Keika whispered to herself moments before the hostess seated them, putting them at a two person table on the right side of the restaurant.

After the hostess left with their order, leaving the two alone once more, it was clear that neither one was able to fully look the other in the eye. As they had spent a majority of the date so far, they were completely silent for a time. It wasn't just that they were nervous; they simply did not have that much to talk about. But of course, it was more awkward to simply sit there in silence trying not to stare at one another.

"So…" Keika finally said, catching Motoko's attention "…I honestly never would have expected you to… 'ask' me out."

"Oh?" was the simple response from the younger girl.

"I mean, I was a bit suspicious because of your… dislike of men, but still, I never would have guessed that you were…"

Motoko sighed, noting the hesitation Keika had with saying 'the word'.

"Gay?" Motoko finished for Keika, who was now wide eyed and surprised "You can say it, you know; it's not like I'm hiding it or anything."

Now blushing worse, Keika found herself sighing.

"So that makes me the only one to not know you're… gay?" Keika asked in a low tone.

"No. I'm quite sure that not even my sister knows my preference." Motoko replied calmly, causing a surprised Keika to become confused once more.

"But… if you're not hiding it, then how is that-"

"I don't make it a habit to flaunt my preference either." Motoko explained with a bit of a frown "Honestly, it doesn't have to be simply 'in' or 'out'."

This only further confused Keika, and Motoko found herself sighing as well.

"Look, if you had asked me 'Motoko, do you like men or women?', then I would have given you an honest answer: women. However, I'm not going to 'come out' and tell everyone around me that I'm a lesbian just for the sake of 'outing' myself." Motoko explained as Keika found her blushing becoming akin to an inferno "Does that make sense, Urashima-san?"

"…yeah, yeah it does." Keika said quickly as the waitress came up with their orders, placing them quickly before she left the 'couple' alone again.

The two ate in silence, not out of nerves like before, but rather because they were at a loss of things to say. On one hand, Motoko's interest extended from training to school, the latter of which was not currently active at the moment. Keika was in a similar boat, having spent a vast majority of time studying and practicing martial arts with Motoko. As such, the meal was eaten almost entirely in silence, giving the two of them time to think.

For Motoko, those thoughts seemed to revolve around how awkward she was being, knowing that there _should_ be some form of interaction between you and the person your on a date with.

Keika's thoughts were a bit more introspective.

'_Why do I hide it? I mean, Japan is a tolerant country… hell, we've even had openly gay government officials.'_ Keika found herself thinking as she ate in silence _'I can understand simply not being overzealous about it… and about not telling my closed-minded parents… but what about hiding it from everyone else? Apparently Motoko doesn't, and she's perfectly fine…'_

* * *

Having finished their meal with barely a peep out of either of them, the two left the restaurant, noticing that they had plenty of time left in the day.

"So… what shall we do now?" Keika asked as they made their way to the street, watching as the few cars passed by.

"I… don't know…" Motoko relented quietly "…to be honest, the only thing I had thought out before hand was the meal…"

Keika personally found it amusing, but decided to keep her amusement to herself.

"Well, what would you like to do?" Keika asked, given that she was the 'experienced' one, which she too found laughable in the irony of it all.

"…the only thing I like to do is train…" Motoko said, her head tilting towards the ground "…I sound so pathetic for a date, don't I?"

"N-No! Not at all!" Keika replied, a bit too happily she thought "Do you really think I'm that much better? Hell, I haven't done much besides study and train, since I left highschool!"

"That doesn't improve my standing…"

'_Wow… Motoko's so odd out of her element…'_ Keika thought as she tried to come up with an idea of what they could do for the rest of their date.

Then it hit her.

"So the only thing you really like is training, right?"

Motoko was silent, her head dipping lower after she nodded.

"Then I think I know a place you'd enjoy visiting!" Keika said happily, grabbing Motoko's hand and beginning to pull her along "Come on!"

If blushes produced light, then Motoko's at the moment would be blinding.

"U-Urashima-san!"

* * *

"…this is the place you were talking about?" Motoko asked as she looked up at the sign.

"Yeah! I was in it earlier today, and I think you'd like it." Keika said with a grin.

"When were you in it today?" Motoko asked "You were at Hinata-sou until you went to check your scores with Narusegawa-san."

"See how that window is cleaner than the rest of the building?" Keika asked, pointing to the large window in the front.

"Yes."

"See how that window in the bar across the street is also cleaner than the rest of it?" Keika asked as she pointed to another fairly large window.

"…yes."

"Let's put it this way: Naru's got a mean right hook… and I might need a second job soon…" Keika stated with a nervous chuckle.

Motoko could only stare… for a few moments.

"She punched you out of the window of the bar into the window of this ancient weaponry museum?"

"Yep, and those windows are expensive." Keika said with a grin as Motoko continued to stare at her with an odd look.

"…let's just check this place out, shall we?" Keika said with a blush as she opened the door "After you?"

Motoko headed in, followed by Keika, and the former was immediately awestruck. Though the place was relatively small, and clearly not a corporation or nationally owned museum, the displays were wondrous. Blades of all sorts, from the short tanto and hachiwara, to the standard katana, to even the much larger odachi and nodachi, lined the walls and floor. With each was a description of the time period, famous wielders, famous makers, famous battles it was used in, etc. They even had other weapons, such as naginata, kunai, kusari kama, and other weapons only Motoko and manga artists would know the name of. It was a place perfect for Motoko.

"See? I told you you'd enjoy it." Keika said with an overjoyed grin.

When she didn't get a response from Motoko, Keika turned to find that she had immediately gone to the nearest sword exhibit and was now completely entranced in the surroundings. Keika laughed softly to herself before moving over to her, listening as Motoko expounded on several aspects of the various exhibits. As they worked their way around the place, Keika was smiling all the while as she watched Motoko acting like a kid in a candy store… though the candy was exceptionally lethal and very, very old.

'_It's actually kinda cute to see her like this.'_ Keika found herself thinking as they were nearing the end of the line of exhibits, laughing along at her own thought.

"Hm? What's funny, Urashima-san?" Motoko asked, her brow furrowed "I was just talking about how the owner of this blade slew an entire village of non-combatants in a most dishonorable fashion… and you _laugh_ at that?"

Keika's face tried to pale and blush at the same time, but the blushing one out to some degree.

"I wasn't laughing at _that_! I was laughing at you!" Keika said, only afterwards realizing what she had said _'Oh shit…'_

Motoko glared at her, turning to face her with crossed arms.

"And what exactly is so funny about me, Urashima-deshi?" Motoko queried firmly, her stance and gaze unwavering.

This would have been a much more intimidating posture had Motoko been wearing her chest bindings. Without them though, and all Motoko managed to do was make herself all the more appealing, which subsequently forced Keika's blush to brighten.

"Y-You remind me of a kid in a candy shop!" Keika managed, trying not to look at Motoko's 'assets' instead of her face.

Motoko was blushing with embarrassment as she realized how she had lost her calm composure, and she herself was a brilliant crimson by the time she realized what kept trying to draw Keika's line of sight. Quickly unfolding her arms and refolding them _over_ her breasts, Keika could no longer keep her laughter contained. The blushing Motoko tried to growl, but eventually found herself smiling and chuckling along with Keika.

Unbeknownst to them, mostly because they were distracted by the other in some form or fashion, they were being watched by a man nearby. The man was clearly middle age, but appeared to be in surprisingly good shape for his age. His hair was graying, and his skin was marred with scars and wrinkles alike. He was smiling as he watched the two young women before him, waiting for an opportune moment to make himself known.

"I see you've decided to return with a friend this time, Urashima-san." the man finally said during a rather quiet point in the laughing fit "I appreciate your choice of the door this time as well."

"Oh! Hamada-san!" Keika said in surprise as she smile at the man "Yeah, I see you fixed the window quickly."

"Never wait till tomorrow for what must be done today." Hamada said as he walked over to the pair "Who might your sensei be?"

"Sensei?" Keika said before she realized that Motoko had referred to her as 'deshi' at one point "Oh! Yeah! She's-"

"Aoyama Motoko." Motoko said with a proper bow.

"Hamada Ken." Hamada replied with an equally proper bow "You seem to know what you're talking about, Aoyama-san."

Motoko nodded.

"Hai, my training requires that I learn the history of combat, weapons and battles being forefront." Motoko explained proudly.

"I'm impressed, and I have to say that what I heard you talk about was entirely accurate down to the date." Hamada said with a his own special grin "You've got a good master, Urashima-san; if her skill and blade are as sharp as her mind and appearance, then I doubt you'd find a better sensei."

Motoko blushed brighter than she ever had, and Keika joined her as well.

"Arigatou, Hamada-san." Keika finally thanked "Ano, I believe we've already gone through your entire collection, Hamada-san."

"So you will be leaving soon?"

"Hai."

"Then I hope you have a pleasant evening, with your 'master'." Hamada said, giving the duo a knowing wink before heading off to his office near the back of his museum.

Keika sent a glance to Motoko, who seemed to return it.

"Does he…?"

"I would suspect so." Motoko replied calmly.

"How does he know?"

Motoko simply gave her an expression that screamed 'it's so obvious'. Keika decided not to press the issue.

"It should be late by now… we should return before Kitsune and the others worry." Motoko said, to which Keika concurred.

* * *

"I must admit, Urashima-san, I rather enjoyed that one museum." Motoko said as they reached the steps of Hinata-sou.

"I knew you would. Luckily Naru launched me in the right direction, huh?" Keika said with a smile "It was interesting to see all those weapons. Personally I found it amazing that you knew the history of all those blades."

"History is one of the areas besides Shinmei-ryu where I excel." Motoko explained as they ascended the steps towards their home.

"I should probably study with you in history instead of Naru." Keika said with a laugh as they continued on their way up "But anyway, I'm glad you had a good time on your first date."

"It seems odd though." Motoko admitted with a furrowed brow expression "_I_ asked _you_ out with the intention of providing _you_ with a good time, but it turned out otherwise."

"But I _did_ have a good time." Keika declared with a brilliant smile "Besides, if you care about someone, then whatever makes them happy makes you happy."

Motoko was blushing scarlet now, but she was still smiling as they reached the top of the 'stairway from hell', as Keika called it after training sessions. They halted their progression as they reached the door though.

"Urashima-san." Motoko began, her nerves wracking her voice as she seemed to hold herself rigid "I know it is improper for the first date, but…"

"But what?" Keika asked, her mind sending her a rather interesting idea of what the swordsmistress was going to be asking.

Motoko said something, but it was too quiet for Keika to hear even when she focused on it.

"Say again?"

Motoko repeated it, but it was a bit of a grumble with only one distinguishable word: kiss. Knowing that her brain had actually assumed right for once, Keika immediately felt her heart race. Despite her mature, cool, and collected attitude, Motoko was still a highschool girl after all. That, and if Keika's memory served her properly, Motoko had also never kissed anyone, or so she said.

Keika felt her face warm up significantly, her eyes now focusing on the younger girl's lips. She gulped after a moment, and then slowly she moved a bit closer to the taller girl, which alerted the younger girl to her intentions. Motoko's gaze rose a bit from the ground, looking into Keika's brown eyes with her own black ones. Keika slowly moved her hands to Motoko's shoulders while her lips began to move closer to Motoko's own. Motoko closed her eyes, her own heart pounding in her ears as she leaned down a bit to meet Keika.

Slowly and softly, their lips met in a relatively chaste kiss. Neither sought to deepen the kiss, and neither of them was fueled by lust or passion. The kiss was soft, caring, and more emotional than passionate or sexual in nature; it was a sight that only an artist or romantic would imagine. It was also relatively short, lasting no more than seven seconds before the two broke it, albeit slowly.

This was good though, for during their kiss the door to Hinata-sou had opened, and it wasn't more than a second after the kiss ended that Keika was hit full on by a happy-go-lucky Su.

"Heyas Keika-chan! Motoko-chan!" Su shouted as her foot remained on Keika's face as the older woman landed on the ground several feet away.

Keika groaned in pain on the ground as she focused on healing her newly acquired wounds to her jaw and face. Motoko on the other hand had remained in place, hand on her lips with a positively glowing expression.

* * *

_End Chapter 6_

* * *

_Author's Note: Footnotes first…_

_(1) Don't tell me that 'she's a minor!' or call me/Keika names or whatnot; national age of consent in Japan is 13, and even where I live it's fifteen, so she's technically legal over there _and_ over here. If you still don't like the idea, pretend she's older instead._

_Okay, now that that's said and done, I hope you all enjoyed this scene. 'Why?', you ask? Because it was a royal bitch to write. I wanted them to have a fairly realistic, yet subsequently unique, date, not something like 'dinner and a movie' or a theme park type deal. Also, I was debating for damn near an hour on whether to have them kiss in the end. Obviously I decided to do so, as I figured that Keika had gone through enough abuse recently for me to have Su interrupt them violently._

_Anyway, special thanks to my reviewers, and as usual: please review and make me feel loved, even if it's for the purpose of constructive criticism._


	7. Beach Time Hijinks

_Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, nor am I making money from this._

_**WARNING: Blah…**_

_Authors Note: I should probably be waiting for reviews… but the story train of thought keeps departing without waiting for such things! Don't worry though; I make sure to read reviews periodically during the process of my writing, so any complaints/ideas/suggestions can be considered before the next chapter is posted. Anyway, without further ado…_

* * *

_**Love Hina: All-Girls Dorm Edition**_

_Chapter 7: Beach time Hijinks_

* * *

After Naru had arrived by the end of the weekend, and after she came to grips with the fact that not only were two of the people she had known for at least six months lesbians, but both were involved with each other, things began to become relatively normal. Oddly enough though, Naru seemed relatively less adverse to Keika, and her dealings with Motoko didn't seem to change at all. It was odd, and Keika found herself wondering just who the 'friend' Naru had met happened to be, and just what he/she had done to make Naru so much mellower around them. They also wondered why the 'friend' had given her an exceptionally rare hotspring turtle, which was affectionately called Tama-chan by all but Motoko, who happened to refer to it by many names (such as 'unholy abomination').

But anyway, like things always worked out to be, things at Hinata-sou quickly went back to a rather simplistic pattern. Kitsune continued to sleep, eat, drink, gamble, and drink some more. Su continued to find ways to create and test new inventions, though they had lately the 'testing' was happening on Keika less and less, especially since the 'unexplainable failure' rate was skyrocketing after her involvement with Motoko. Naru continued to study her ass off, including Keika in it frequently, and was generally nicer to the kanrinin overall. Shinobu, though now blushing around both Keika _and_ Motoko more frequently, still appeared to be the poster child of 'idealistic woman-in-training'.

As for the couple, Keika and Motoko, the two began to spent a significantly greater amount of time with each other and generally acted like any normal couple would… though they would attempt to kill each other via sparring every week or so. It was noticed on more than one occasion that their range of activities, Motoko's especially, began to branch out from their normal set of 'eat, sleep, study, train.' Motoko was even caught once or twice watching television with Keika, which was previously an activity that Motoko deemed 'mindless, useless activity.' Despite the patterns of Hinata-sou, things seemed to be changing still…

…like today, when they arrived at the beach to stay at the 'Hinata Beach Inn and Tea House'.

"I hate the beach…" Keika was muttering as she began changing out of her street clothes.

"Why is that, Keika-san?" Motoko asked in the process of removing her extensive chest wrappings.

"I don't know… I guess I just don't like the fact that I've never really been comfortable without pants, a shirt, and gloves on." Keika answered as she continued removing her pants "Well, moreso the pants and a shirt; the gloves are a bit newer than that."

"I understand, Keika-san." Motoko said after she was finally able to breathe fully unrestricted again "That is why I prefer my school swimsuit; it is very covering."

Keika paused for a moment, then turned to Motoko to ask her if she was really planning on wearing her school swimsuit, but she froze at the sight of Motoko. Though they had both seen the other naked before, during, and after the many baths they'd taken at Hinata-sou, the situation at hand was a little bit different. (1) She couldn't help herself as her eyes moved over Motoko's chest and stomach (for she had yet to remove any clothing lower than that), noticing the perfect mixture of beauty and muscle that was the Aoyama swordmistress. Keika quickly whipped her head around before Motoko could see her…

"I saw that, Keika-san."

… or so she thought.

"Gomenasai, Motoko-chan…" Keika said sheepishly as she began to put her own swimsuit on.

Having managed to kill off conversation for some time, the two got dressed in silence, with Keika putting on a brown two-piece while Motoko did indeed put her one-piece school swimsuit. Keika took a close look at herself then, and noticed that her body had changed for the better since the last time she looked, which was quite a while back. Her arms were more built, less twiggy, as were her legs. Her stomach was flat and firm; a fine layer of well toned muscle. She could only feel the muscles in her back, but even then she was impressed at the noticeable difference between what it had been and what it was now.

She had taken the time recently to look at herself like that, and it made her feel a bit stronger and more confident about herself. (2)

'_She said she'd help me grow a spine if it killed her… I can see a good reason why she wanted me to work on martial arts.'_ Keika was thinking, as she finished getting dressed.

"Ready to go?" Keika asked as she finished adjusting her suit, which she noticed was a bit snugger than she remembered it being.

"Of course." Motoko responded, dressed in her navy one-piece.

With that, they made their way to the beach, though Motoko noticed something.

"Keika-san, what happened to your hands?" Motoko asked, confused at what she saw.

"Hm? Oh! A trick I learned from my sister." Keika explained as she extended both palms outward to face Motoko, showing that her scars weren't visible at the time "She's really good at disguises and impersonation, and I remembered a few of her tricks not too long ago."

"Does that mean you no longer need the gloves?"

"No, I'll still use the gloves; this stuff is kinda annoying to put on all the time, so it's a last resort type of thing." Keika explained before she took off towards the water at a run "Now come on! Everyone's waiting!"

* * *

"Aaahhh… I remember what I like about the beach now…" Keika muttered as she lay out on her back in the warm sun.

The others all seemed intent on physical activity, but Keika, and apparently Kitsune as well, seemed perfectly happy lying on the beach and relaxing.

"Yep, ya gotta admit, feel's great out 'ere." Kitsune replied, lying on her front under the sun "Ah'm surprised ya ain't out there with _your_ Motoko-_chan_."

Even under the warmth of the sun, Keika managed to blush a bit.

"We don't have to do _everything_ together, you know." Keika replied calmly.

"Yeah, but Ah'm pretty sure ya wanna do _certain_ things together." was the fox's retort, accompanied by the most wicked grin imaginable.

Keika sat bolt upright, her face now akin to a tomato behind her prescription sunglasses.

"Kitsune!" Keika shouted, clearly embarrassed beyond belief "What if Motoko-chan hears you say something like that?!"

"Oh please, ya can't tell me that _those_ thoughts haven't gone through your head." Kitsune said, rolling her eyes as she grinned (though nobody would ever know she rolled here eyes due to her perpetual squinting) "With all the time y'all spend alone 'training' and whatnot, that is."

"They haven't! We haven't even been dating a month!"

"Come on girl, it's only natural to… huh?" Kitsune continued to tease, but stopped when she noticed that something was blocking some of her sun.

Keika looked up, but the glare from the sun didn't let her see the figures too well. She could tell one was tall and thin, while the other was short and kinda stocky, but other than that it was a shadow.

"Excuse me, Miss," the tall one said, crouching down so that Kitsune could see him, though the glare still hindered Keika "I was blinded by your beauty, so I'm gonna need your name and number for insurance purposes."

Keika visibly sighed.

"That sounds like something Haitani would say…" Keika muttered under her breath, then she realized something "…wait, that voice was familiar…"

Shifting from out of the sun's angle as Kitsune trying not to laugh at the rather poor excuse for a pick up line, Keika was finally able to get a good look at the two guys that had come up to them.

"…Shirai? Haitani?" Keika asked in surprise as she removed her sunglasses "What are you doing here?"

The two guys both turned to her, and in a moment their faces lit up like a light with their smiles.

"Keika!" they both shouted simultaneously, with Haitani getting up from his spot near Kitsune.

"What are _you_ doing here?!" Shirai asked, but was roughly shoved out of the way.

"Don't you have that dorm you run now?" Haitani asked, winking at her suggestively "You know, the _all female_ one?"

"Well… yeah, but they're all down here with me so-" Keika began, though she would never get to finish.

"Wait, all the girls are _here_?!" they both shouted, though Shirai was nursing fresh wounds as well.

"Y-Yes…b-but I don't think it's a good idea to-" Keika began, but once more she was cut off.

"Where are they?! I wanna meet them!" Haitani exclaimed ecstatically, then glanced down at Kitsune "Oh, I'm sorry beautiful. Are you one of the girls from Hinata-sou?"

Keika just pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to will away the soon-to-be headache. 'Why?', you ask? Well, _she_ was the only one of the three of them to catch the glint in Kitsune's eye as she turned over to face the two younger men.

"I think ya can call me Kitsune." Kitsune said with a pleasant grin "An' yeah, ah live at Hinata-sou."

Keika felt a familiar presence, as well as a familiar surge of energy. Keika stood up just as the reflection of metal caught her attention from the corner of her eye.

'_Oh… that's what Kitsune is planning.'_ Keika thought, then decided to try warning her friends "Um, guys? You might want to start walking away slowly..."

Both looked at her with awkward glances, but that was before Kitsune's foot 'accidentally' hit Haitani in the back of the knee. This of course sent him tumbling forward, catching himself with either arm on either side of Kitsune. As an added bonus though, unless the fox really was that devious, Shirai was knocked over and made to grab something to hold him up. Grab he did, and needless to say Keika was very, very uncomfortable with Shirai being latched onto two rather sensitive mounds of flesh on the front of her body.

"_YOU LECHEROUS BEASTS!!_" was the loud cry from not too far away, which was accompanied by the sound of ringing metal.

"Run!" Keika told her friends as she saw her girlfriend making a straight dash down the beach, Shishui gleaming in the sun.

For some reason, the odd, and slightly demonic, glint in Motoko's eye scared her… a lot. It scared the boys too, and a moment later Kitsune, Keika, and a majority of the beach was watching as Motoko chased the two guys down the beach, most likely with intent to kill or castrate.

"Hey, Keika, wha'd ya let 'er chase 'em like that?" Kitsune asked, mentally placing bets on Shirai getting hurt first.

"I can't beat her in a sparring match, so what in kami-sama's name makes you think I can stop her from killing those two when she's like that?" Keika asked in all seriousness, though she made a note to work with Motoko regarding her reaction to 'perverts' and males in general.

"…good point… might want to start thinkin' of proper eulogies or whatnot."

* * *

"…Okay… let me get this straight, Keika," Haitani said, his eyes closed and his fingers on the bridge of his nose "This woman, Aoyama Motoko, who just finished chasing us down with a katana not even thirty minutes ago, just so happens to be your girlfriend… your second one at that."

With a short, nervous chuckle, Keika nodded her head.

"How do you do it?!" Shirai shouted, dramatic tears pouring from his eyes "You've had two, count it, TWO girlfriends, but neither of us has had even _one_!"

"And you're a _girl_ at that!" Haitani added in "You'd think it'd be more difficult!"

"I don't really have a secret, guys…" Keika said sheepishly, her blush as bright as anything "…and can you keep it down? We are in a public place…"

True to her statement, they were indeed sitting in the Hinata-sou Beach Tea House, which was rather crowded due to the heat of the day. They had drawn some attention to the conversation, and to Keika in particular, but Keika was doing pretty well at not letting their knowledge of her preferences get to her.

"Fine, fine, but honestly, how'd you bag such a fine lookin' girl?" Haitani asked "And please, spare no details."

Shaking her head slightly, Keika actually found herself laughing.

"I didn't 'bag' Motoko-chan; _she_ asked _me_ out." Keika explained "Honestly, I was surprised that she did that too…"

"Hm… so… you're the neko then, right?" (3) Shirai asked with a blush and a grin to beat the band.

Keika, as well as several people nearby who overheard, was/were blushing so brightly that they might have literally caught fire. Keika's eyes were so wide she thought they would pop out of her sockets. Then, an aura of dread overtook the table, and Shirai's face paled significantly.

"…Motoko-sama's right behind me, isn't she?" Shirai asked, hoping that by showing a bit of respect for Motoko that she'd go easy on him.

Keika nodded again, then made to stand up.

"Motoko-chan," Keika began slowly as Motoko made for her katana, which she was carrying with her "just calm down and let go of the blade."

Motoko shot her a look, which gave Haitani enough time to get out of the way in case things took a turn for the worst.

"Why should I let such perverse inquiries and subsequent thoughts go unpunished?" Motoko asked calmly, but still strongly without loosening her grip on her blade.

"Because _everyone_ has thoughts like that; they're completely normal." Keika said, though she couldn't help but blush as she realized that she was telling the truth that Kitsune had also told her earlier that day "Besides, they're unarmed, defenseless, and they've done no harm to anyone."

That last statement hit home, as it directly spoke to Motoko's sense of honor, which would not let her perform such an action as the one she was previously set on doing. Slowly, carefully, she removed her hand from her blade, then after a single look at Keika, she went back to her job as a server. A place in Keika's heart twinged a bit with that look she received; she knew that Motoko was irritated with her now, and she'd probably have to explain herself later. That was the least of Shirai's concerns though.

"You saved me…" Shirai said softly as he released the breath he didn't know he'd been holding "…I don't think I can take another beating like the last one…"

"Yeah… joy…" Keika muttered "…now she's sure to be mad at me…"

"Don't worry about it. What kind of relationship would you two have if you didn't get on each other's nerves once in a while?" Haitani put in as he took his seat with a smile.

"Yeah, but-"

"Just talk to her later and I'm sure everything will turn out right." Haitani continued, then broke into a smirk "Maybe things'll go better than that."

"Haitani!" Keika hissed as she turned scarlet once more, which had the other two members of the table laughing out loud.

"Anyway though, you two look pretty good together." Haitani said sincerely "I think you two were a born match for each other."

Keika was alight with another blush, but this one was accompanied by a pleasant smile.

"…thanks." was all Keika managed to say in response.

"Just being honest, Keika." Shirai said with his own smile "…but seriously, you're the neko, right?"

Keika merely sent him a glare, which carried almost as much threat as the blade Motoko wielded did.

"…nevermind…" Shirai squeaked as he suddenly found his drink rather interesting.

"That's what I thought."

* * *

The festival that evening was an event for the entire tenant listing of Hinata-sou, the two other members of the 'Three Ronins', and two other guests, who appeared to be both friends of Haruka and previous acquaintances of Kitsune and Naru. It truly was an interesting festival, and it gave a good couples atmosphere. Luckily, that's what Keika had in mind. Motoko though was still a bit irked from the activities of lunch, and Keika hadn't gotten the chance to speak to her because of how busy the tea house was.

'_At least she's willing to walk around with me…'_ Keika mused within her mind as she walked side by side with Motoko, both of them dressed in deep blue, floral-patterned yukata. (4)

"…you're still upset about earlier?" Keika asked, though the question was rhetorical at best.

"I fail to see why you'd defend those lecherous, perverted _males_," Motoko said sternly "let alone _befriend_ them."

"They really aren't as bad as you think they are." Keika explained "Sure, they used to hit on me a couple of times…"

The twitching of Motoko's eye did not go unnoticed at those words.

"…but really, they're great guys. They just… don't know the best way to act around us girls." Keika finished with a grin "But they most certainly aren't what I'd call perverts."

"How can you say that?!" Motoko asked, her face twisted into a frown "The short, fat one _groped_ you earlier, and the tall one tried to force himself on Kitsune!"

"Kitsune tricked them into doing that on purpose." Keika explained as her smile fell "She was trying to mess with them, and she knew you'd go after them."

Motoko still refused to believe that.

"Men are all perverts, Keika-san. I don't understand how you can fail to see that." Motoko continued as she crossed her arms.

"Even, oh what's his name… Seta-san is a pervert?" Keika asked.

"Noriyasu-san? He… he seems… alright." Motoko answered honestly, though it was difficult for her to admit that.

"What about the one's related to you? Like your father?" Keika asked, knowing that she was starting to get somewhere.

"No! Of course father was not!" Motoko said with some ferocity, given that it was dealing with her family.

"Your teachers?"

"N-No! They don't… let perverts be teachers… at an all-girls school… or in Shinmei-ryu..."

"Devoted, honest husbands? Good fathers? Spiritual monks?"

"…no…" Motoko finally relented, her head now hanging and having stopped walking "…I…"

Keika currently wished she could crawl in a hole and die.

'_Great… I try to get her to lighten up on them and get over being mad, and I end up depressing her… great… just great…'_ Keika mentally berated herself as she turned to face the crestfallen girl.

"You don't have to be that way, Motoko-chan." Keika said simply with some semblance of a weak, yet sympathetic, smile "…I'm sorry I brought it up."

That didn't seem to help much, so Keika decided a more persuasive method of cheering the girl up was in order. Keika came in close, placed a hand under Motoko's chin, and lifted the girl's head a bit so that she'd be looking at her instead of the ground. Keika made sure to smile a bit, though she really didn't feel like smiling at all.

"Look, you didn't let me end up all 'woe is me' when Su-chan found that picture," Keika said simply, opting for a more blunt approach "so do you really think I'm going to stand here and let you get depressed because you realized that you were wrong about men being perverts?"

This got Keika a bit of a glare from the swordsmistress, which was an improvement in and of itself.

"Look, weren't you the one who told me that those who practice-"

"-Shinmei-ryu rarely make mistakes, and they always learn from them so they never make the same mistake twice." Motoko finished, holding her glare and pulling her chin out of Keika's light grip "I _am_ your sensei in the art, Urashima-deshi."

Keika didn't say anything, only grinned until Motoko finally said something.

"What?"

"Just happy to see my Motoko-chan back to her normal self again." Keika explained happily "You are feeling alright now, right?"

Motoko didn't say anything, but she did look over to where she saw Seta and Haruka, which happened to be at a shooting gallery. Motoko seemed to think for a moment, and then moved past Keika without a word, which had the older woman a bit worried. Motoko headed over to the shooting gallery, then after scrutinizing the pistol she picked up six chopsticks, which was coincidentally the number of shots she had paid for. Keika slowly approached Motoko as she held her arms up like she'd imagined a ninja to do with kunai or shuriken.

"Hiken: Fuujin Ranbu!" Motoko exclaimed as she did a quick spin, and a moment later six targets were impaled with the six chopsticks.

Keika was shocked to see that Motoko had yet another skill that she hadn't seen in her sparring matches, and to imagine her with real weapons…

'_I need to remember not to piss her off when she's within reach of a projectile…'_

Taking the six prizes, Motoko handed one to each of the other girl's at Hinata-sou, then handed one to Sara. Finally she had one left, which she calmly handed to Keika. Keika was immediately overjoyed; it was probably one of the sweetest things Motoko had done.

"Arigatou, Motoko-chan." Keika said as she gave her girlfriend a quick peck on the cheek, as they were in public after all. (5)

Motoko only nodded, her face still expressionless as Keika looked over the prize she had been given. It was a stuffed animal that was mostly round, but the two projections on one side, along with some stitching, let the brunette know it was an animal head. It had two stitched in eyes, a stitched in smile, and a set of whisker-like projections from near the mouth.

"A cat? It's _cute_!" Keika declared happily "Did you pick this one specifically for me?"

Motoko, now smiling, simply nodded.

"Ah… arigatou Moto…ko…" Keika began, but trailed off as she noticed the odd expression on Motoko's face.

She wasn't simply smiling; she was desperately trying not to burst into a fit of laughter.

"What?" Keika asked, a bit bewildered.

Then she looked down at the cat plushie she held, then looked back at Motoko. She repeated that a couple of times, then something Shirai had asked her earlier ran through her mind.

'"_Hm… so… you're the neko then, right?"'_

Keika's eyes snapped open and her face was so red it appeared as if steam was billowing out her ears. Motoko, though still restraining a majority of her laughter, allowed herself a chuckle before she began to head off towards one of the food stands. Eventually, Keika managed to find her voice though, but all she could say was:

"_Motoko_!"

"I'm feeling better now, Keika-chan." Motoko replied over her shoulder, allowing herself another laugh as she continued on her way, a highly embarrassed girlfriend not too far in tow.

* * *

_End Chapter 7_

* * *

_Author's Note: Footnotes…_

_(1) I figured that, given the nature of the onsen and public bathing mentality in Japan, that they'd view seeing someone you are bathing with naked in a somewhat non-sexual manner. Otherwise it would make for a _lot_ of awkward situations, in my opinion._

_(2) Remember that Keika has effectively been practicing Shinmei-ryu with Motoko for over six months… which is more than enough time to build some decent muscle, and get in shape. Getting in shape can lead to a better self image, ergo she becomes more confident._

_(3) Neko literally translates into cat in English, but it is also Japanese gay slang which can refer to the more feminine/passive/submissive partner in a lesbian relationship, though it can also be used in reference to male/male relationships as well. Basically, it's the Japanese equivalent of 'femme'._

_(4) Essentially a single layer, lightweight kimono. Based on the design of the clothing in the manga, it is most likely a lightweight yukata (as it is summer, and I can attest to the fact that traditionally multi-layer kimono happen to be very warm in the summer… don't ask how I know that though…)_

_(5) Remember: this is set in Japan, and PDAs (Public Displays of Affection) tend to be traditionally more conservative to nonexistent, though there are, naturally, exceptions and modern day changes occurring._

_Alright, now that I've finally finished, let me say a few things: _

_Firstly, please review, even if it's to suggest something or for constructive criticism. _

_Secondly, I will say that I deliberately decided to not include the play that is featured in the fifth book during the beach trip, mainly because I thought that what I have here is not only a better ending, but it is also constructive, character-building/fluff while the play would turn out as mindless, useless fluff. (I will add it in later if I get enough requests though, but don't expect it to be very long or whatnot)_

_Thirdly, I am going to try to not take so long for the next chapters; I tend to post slower over weekends._

_Fourthly, please review; I like reviews and they make me happy which makes me write better, happier, fluffier stuff._

_Fifthly, see you later!_


	8. Point

_Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, nor am I making money from this._

_**WARNING: Blargh…**_

_Authors Note: Well, got a couple of good reviews; no negative ones. So, I'm basically going to cover the entire Book 6 in this chapter, so it will cover a rather extensive amount of time (from my measure, 5-6 months time) I might need to throw in something that'd serve as a bit of filler for that, but at the moment in which I am writing this AN, that has not been decided. But anyway, I'm gonna go ahead and get this chapter underway._

* * *

_**Love Hina: All-Girls Dorm Edition**_

_Chapter 8: Point... _

* * *

"Come back here you little hellion!" Keika was shouting as she ran down the halls of Hinata-sou after a short blonde girl.

Obviously, the blonde was a gaijin, but it was not Su. It was a new addition that was sprung on them at the last minute during the beach trip by none other than Seta.

"Yeah right, dork!" Sara shouted as she turned a sharp corner faster than Keika could manage.

Keika, of course, ended up sliding through the door of an unused room, further adding to her growing list of repairs.

"Dammit! Su-chan's robots would be less troublesome than this!" Keika muttered as she got to her feet and tore back through the door, only to find that Sara was nowhere in sight "_Dammit_!"

"Wow… that's pathetic." Naru, who was heading down the hallway nearby as well, said "You can keep up with Motoko in a sparring match, but you can't catch a little girl."

"Then you try to catch her!" Keika declared loudly "I swear, I'd have an easier time beating Motoko-chan in a fight!"

"Hasn't she won all of your sparring matches?"

"That's the point!" Keika clarified "Do you know what that girl just did?!"

"I'm guessing something involving your room, since you chased her out of there." Naru said nonchalantly, then gave her a stern glare "You didn't-"

"No, nothing happened!" Keika exclaimed, knowing what the woman was going to suggest "She cut all the sleeves off my dress shirts!"

"So? Buy new blouses, or a dress or something." Naru retorted, wholly unsympathetically "If you think about it, the only times you and Motoko have dressed like girls has been the beach."

"So? Men's clothing's more comfortable." Keika responded with a blush "It's much looser."

Naru then shot her an odd look.

"What?"

"I thought you simply bought blouses and pants a few sizes to big, but you actually wear _men's_ _clothing_?" Naru asked, a wee bit put off.

"Yeah, so?"

"Nothing. Do you really want my help?"

"Yes, now come on; she should be off causing trouble somewhere by now…" Keika finished as she headed down the hallway she intended to go down, with Naru heading down the other way that Keika had come from.

She didn't have to go more than four doors down before a large, probably expensive, artifact came flying at her, though she dodged around it with relative ease.

"Sara!" Keika shouted as she leapt at the girl in the doorway to her left, though she was a hair shy of actually grabbing the girl who had moved further into the room and instead nearly broke her shoulder on the doorframe "AH!"

"Wow, what a dope!" Sara taunted, sticking her tongue out for effect a moment later.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Keika screamed as she pushed off from the doorway in Sara's direction, but once more missed as the girl used her head as a stepping stool and leapt through the doorway to run off down the hall in the direction away from Naru.

After peeling her face off the floorboards, Keika was once again on Sara's trail, but once again lost it and ended up swearing quite loudly. Eventually she quit searching for the young girl and decided to go see Motoko up on the roof. When she got up there though, she was shocked to find, not Motoko, but Sara instead. Before she jumped on the girl for her previous transgressions, she made sure to see what she was doing up there by herself.

The girl was mostly still, her head on her knees, and she was uttering a rather soft sound. The sound was familiar, for Keika could remember making that same sound quite often when she was the same age. Most people couldn't mistake that sound; crying was a fairly distinct sound to most, after all.

'_As tough as she appears, she is still a little girl who's never been away from her 'papa' for more than a day.'_ Keika found herself thinking, and she just couldn't bring herself to be mad at the girl _'She must really be missing him.'_

Keika paused for a moment, sighed, and then eventually turned around and headed back down the steps, muttering about how Sara would eventually stop acting out when she got used to everyone here.

'_She's just acting out right now… and I guess new clothes won't cost that much.'_ Keika thought as she headed down to her room to get her wallet for her newly necessary shopping _'…and maybe I should pick up something a bit more… feminine… maybe something Motoko-chan would like…'_

* * *

"Did you find her yet, Keika-san?" Motoko asked from her spot atop a telephone pole.

"No, I still haven't found Tama-chan." Keika called from the base of the pole, a mixture of relief and minor disappointment that Motoko's hakama was too long to see up without a light.

As for Keika's outfit, she was sporting some of her new fashion. She appeared to be taking a leaf out of Kitsune's book, wearing a rather tight fitting black turtleneck that was actually rather flattering and fitting to her style and personality. She wore jeans as well, instead of formal slacks, but they were still rather loose around her legs due to the fact that they happened to be men's pants (which she still found more comfortable, though she had to admit the tops she had bought were more comfortable than her dress shirts). The only things, that hadn't been changed were her black gloves and black shoes, since Sara hadn't destroyed them and they didn't need replacing.

Speaking of Sara, Keika had been right in believing that Sara would eventually calm down from her overtly destructive ways. Once she had become properly acclimated to the Hinata girls, she was more or less just fine. She became Su's new favorite playmate, and together they devised new ways to test Su's inventions, typically on Keika, who still remained Su's favorite test subject. She wished she could get them to destroy less of Hinata-sou during their tests though…

"I think we should follow Su-chan; her devices normally work…" Keika suggested from her spot near the bottom of the telephone pole before sweatdropping "…well, until they blow up or I destroy them."

"That is a reasonable idea." Motoko said as she leapt down from her spot on top of the pole, landing in a crouch without any sign of effort being used.

"Wow, good landing there." Keika said as she began to head to where Su was waiting for everyone, to which Motoko would follow "You used your ki along with your naturally toughened body to 'survive' the fall?"

"Exactly. It is much like using your ki to improve your abilities in combat." Motoko explained with a proud grin "That is something you are exceptionally good at, by the way."

"Thanks Motoko-chan." Keika replied with a brilliant grin, her heart racing ever slightly.

"You still need to finish learning the techniques though; you still have to think too much about them, and that slows you down significantly." Motoko continued "Besides, I haven't even begun to teach you the final aspect of unarmed Shinmei-ryu."

"Hm? What would that be?" Keika asked, as she had never seen Motoko demonstrate anything that she hadn't already been taught.

"Though it is typically not favored by most who learn the art, Shinmei-ryu also incorporates a full jujutsu regime." Motoko stated, then began to expound on the subject as they walked "Before Shinmei-ryu began to develop the advanced ki arts, they were simply a variant school, no different than Niten Ichi-ryu or any other school of martial arts. (1) As the original Shinmei-ryu kendoka were essentially fully fledged samurai, they needed to be able to take down armored or large opponents without their weapons, which is when the samurai, including those of the Shinmei-ryu, developed jujutsu." (2)

"Oh… so are you going to teach me soon?" Keika asked, actually interested in learning the last bit of Shinmei-ryu (and not because it would be a grappling and throwing art either, though the thought _did_ cross her mind).

"Of course. It would not be right to teach you only part of unarmed Shinmei-ryu." Motoko continued "We can begin the training starting tomorrow, if you wish."

"Sure, sounds good."

After a moment of silence, Keika decided that something else needed to be brought up before they met up with the others.

"Motoko-chan, do you know what day today is?" Keika asked, trying her best to hide her interest and anticipation.

"It is October twenty-first." Motoko replied simply.

"Is there anything… special about today?" Keika pressed, though her anxiety was growing a bit.

Motoko took a few moments to think. There were no holidays, festivals, or local celebrations, which meant it was something not nationally or locally celebrated. It wasn't the day Keika would get scores back, nor was it the day of a special exam. It was some time into her senior year, she knew, and that's when it clicked.

"It's been a year since you came to Hinata-sou, hasn't it?" Motoko asked with an elated (for her, anyway) smile "Wow… It's been a year alread-mmph!"

The last bit of that sentence was cut off by Keika's lips, which had ambushed Motoko's when she was busy reminiscing. As Keika's arms slowly wrapped around Motoko's waist, and Motoko's arms around Keika's shoulders and neck, the two seemed oblivious to the world around them as they focused on the other's warm, soft lips. It was passionate, yet surprisingly not too deep a kiss. It was quite enjoyable, and Motoko actually found herself having to restrain a soft moan, lest she give into her base desires.

This pleasurable, self-contained world they had created was only broken by necessary biological functions, aka. the need to breath. Motoko was a bit too overwhelmed to say anything; it certainly wasn't the first time they kissed, nor was it second or third for that matter, but none had been that passionate before. She had felt her heart race, her mind blank, and other reactions she felt uncomfortable and improper mentioning aloud. Keika, though it was by no means her most 'passionate' kiss, still felt that there was something special about it. It had a certain spark, if you will.

"I figured you'd remember," Keika said, still maintaining her grip on Motoko's waist "…eventually… and with a bit of prompting."

Motoko, though blushing like a madwoman, managed a nod of agreement. Keika found it funny and cute all the same, and gave the taller woman one last peck on the lips before she slowly removed her arms from the girl's waist. Motoko was a bit slower on that with the removal of her hands from Keika's neck, so Keika had to help her a bit, which gave her the opportunity to hold onto one of Motoko's hands as they started walking, though their trip would be fairly short nonetheless.

That's how they arrived at the beach, and how everyone saw them: hand in hand and laden with a smile each, with a special blush for Motoko.

"It's about time you got here." Naru said, her face twisted into a frown "Su lost the trail."

"What?" Keika asked, her smile fading along with Motoko's.

"It stopped at th' ocean. Apparently Su can't track anythin' in the ocean." Kitsune explained "Tama-chan's gone, it seems."

"That… that is unfortunate." Motoko managed, though inside a part of her was jumping for joy now that the reptile was no longer around to harass her.

As they stood, staring out into the sea in remembrance of the turtle and pet they had lost, Motoko felt something tug at her hakama, but she ignored it. Then she felt something grip her rear, which is when she shot a glare at Keika, who was standing nearby.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Motoko hissed to the older brunette, making sure she didn't disturb the moment for everyone else.

Keika simply looked at her oddly, which further irritated Motoko when she felt her rear being squeezed a bit, which made her blush horrifically.

"Now is not the time for such _private_ things, Urashima!" Motoko hissed out vehemently "Quit groping me!"

"Uh… Motoko-chan, how can I grope you without using my hands?" Keika asked, lifting her hands to reveal that she was not the one currently squeezing Motoko's lower assets.

Motoko, now a bit pale, turned a bit to look at just who was groping her. Keika looked as well (it wasn't for a perverted reason either), and both of them found out that it wasn't a 'who' that was grabbing her, more of a 'what'. Keika's face lit up with a smile, but Motoko had a completely different reaction.

"KYAA!" Motoko shouted as she jumped at the sight of Tama-chan clinging to her hakama "Turtle!"

Having screamed so loudly that the others had jumped, everyone was startled by the sight of Motoko spinning and swatting at the harmless creature clinging to her rear. None moreso than Keika though, who silently found it funny that the same woman who could cleave her in half with her ki alone was panicking over a harmless little turtle touching her. She didn't find it funny when Motoko finally threw the creature off, and then drew her blade in her minor state of temporary psychosis.

"Ougi: Ryuuhazen!" Motoko shouted as the ki 'wave' flew from her blade, headed straight for Tama-chan.

Though Keika knew that Tama-chan would be able to dodge the attack (this wasn't the first time she had been assaulted by Motoko), Keika was a bit worried about the long haired brunette that Tama-chan had flown to. What a poor time it was for Motoko's aim to be accurate.

'_Shit!'_ Keika thought as she ran forward, putting everything she had into beating the ki attack to it's destination.

Though the attack lost speed as it went, the attack was still moving at a rather rapid pace. (3) It didn't help that she was trying to run full speed on loose sand either. The moment it looked like Keika was going to fail, she tried something she had been contemplating testing in a sparring match with Motoko.

Focusing ki into her legs and feet, Keika launched herself forward. The result was shocking, as there appeared to be two of her separated by approximately five meters, with the second one appearing in front of the brunette and directly in the path of the ki attack. (4) The first Keika faded, and the one in the path of the attack put up a guard moments before the attack would hit her.

It never did though; the attack faded and dispersed into nothing within a centimeter of Keika's guard. It was a moment before Keika realized that though, so she ended up standing there with her arms crossed in front of her while bracing herself for an impact. She dropped her guard as the others began to head her way, and when she heard the voice of the brunette behind her.

"Ara ara, hello there." the woman, whom appeared a bit pale and sickly, said happily "Do I know you?"

"Uh… no?" Keika offered up to the woman, who appeared to actually be older than she herself, though she wondered if the woman even realized that she was fairly close to death, especially if the attack had proceeded another couple meters.

"Oh… I'm Otohime Mutsumi." the brunette said in her same happy mannerism, bowing politely in the process to reveal Tama-chan clinging to her back, who began to 'myuh' a bit "Nice to meet you, Urashima-san."

"Wait, how'd you know my name?" Keika asked, clearly confused since she had never seen the girl before.

"Oh, lucky guess." the woman, Mutsumi, offered up as she held up a 'myuh'ing Tama-chan "Oh, is that so? I'm sorry your girlfriend, Aoyama-san, does not like Tama-chan."

Keika was now officially creeped out.

'_She… she can talk to Tama-chan… and understand her…'_ Keika thought as she unknowingly took a step back from the woman "Uh… yeah… it's nothing personal to Tama-chan though."

"Keika-san!"

Keika turned back around to see the other girls, with Motoko at the forefront, come to a halt in front of her and the brunette. Motoko appeared both worried and embarrassed, while the others were more interested in the 'new girl'. Well, new to everyone but Naru, who was looking at her with wide eyes.

"M-Mutsumi?" Naru said, a bit disbelieving as she moved Keika to the side for a better look "Otohime-san?"

"Ara? Narusegawa-san!" Mutsumi shouted joyfully, taking a few steps forward "It's so great to see you aga-woah!"

Mutsumi had managed to trip on the melon she had previously been carrying, and in a fashion that Keika found rather similar to how she was when she was younger, she managed to catch and tear off Naru's pants on the way to the ground. Keika rapidly averted her eyes, not wanting to provoke the still somewhat volatile younger woman.

"Mutsumi!" Naru shouted as she pulled her pants back up, amidst the various laughs and embarrassed reactions from the other girls "You need to be more… careful…"

The older woman was not moving, nor did she appear to be breathing, everyone immediately assumed the worse. Then came the panic.

"Oh my lord, she's _dead_!" Keika shouted as she immediately bent down and rolled the girl onto her back, checking for her pulse in the process "N-No pulse! Someone get an ambulance!"

Kitsune, who was the only one to remember her cell phone, immediately began to do as requested. The other girls, save the youngest three, all crowded around Mutsumi to in an attempt to see what they could do for the girl.

"CPR! Does anyone know CPR?!" Keika managed to say, though her mind was racing with so many panicked thoughts that she didn't know what to do exactly.

"No!" was Naru's hurried response, with the woman showing an odd level of concern for the girl before her; she was nearly in tears by the looks of things.

"You do, Keika!" Motoko stated, remembering that Keika had learned CPR at some point.

"Huh? Oh! Right!" Keika muttered, then moved her hands into place to begin the chest compressions.

Suddenly Mutsumi shot up, scaring everyone nearby as it appeared the dead was coming back to life. Mutsumi appeared unfazed though.

"Ara ara, did I pass out again?" the girl asked calmly, a bit ditsy in her tone as she looked down "Ara, they're big, aren't they?"

Because of her surprise, and the fact that Keika was a moment away from beginning the chest compressions, when Mutsumi shot up like that, Keika's hand reflexively gripped the nearest thing. This happened to be one of Mutsumi's gigantic melons though, and not the kind that grow on vines.

"AH! I'm sorry!" Keika apologized as she pulled her hand away, though it wasn't unnoticed that the girl was more gifted than even Kitsune (36D, it says so in Book 11).

"Baka! What are you doing groping her?!" Naru growled, an odd ferocity behind her words.

"It wasn't on purpose!"

"Yeah right!"

Mutsumi was completely oblivious throughout, and Motoko merely sighed.

* * *

Just over two months had passed since the Okinawan had showed up near Hinata-sou, and Keika couldn't help but find the girl's presence to be odd. First off, Naru had apparently met her on the trip she had taken after failing the entrance exam that one time, and she was the one who gave Naru Tama-chan. It was odd watching Naru and Mutsumi together, they were clearly friends, but Mutsumi had a habit of kissing the younger woman when she was happy, and Naru didn't seem to mind the kisses too much. The other girls and herself just couldn't figure out what was going on with them, for both had simply stated that they were good friends and that the kisses were a bad habit of Mutsumi's (which the girl emphasized by kissing Keika once, to Motoko's displeasure and jealousy).

Still, it was only Kitsune to be the only one to really press the two for information, since the others either really didn't care or decided to give them the same respect they'd expect to have. On another note, Keika found that Mutsumi, in all her ditsy glory, was also a very intelligent woman, and made an excellent and entertaining study partner. Naru would always be there too, and there were times in which Keika felt like the third wheel, though they were a rather rare occurance. When she'd stop to think about it though, she'd notice that Naru and Mutsumi spent about as much time together as she and Motoko did, possibly more given how often they'd study without Keika.

But nonetheless, those thoughts were the least of Keika's concerns on Christmas Eve. She had the armful of presents to worry about, and the one special present she had to give to a rather special person. It had taken her a while to find the right one, but with the help she got from Hamada, the owner of that one sword museum, she was sure that it would be well worth the extra time and effort. She made sure that the special present, which was strapped to her back, was completely sealed before she headed up the steps to Hinata-sou, passing by an older gentleman as she made the turn into the stairwell.

She could remember the first ascended these steps, and it was a surprisingly fond memory. She remembered being first chased by Naru, and then attacked by her and Motoko. Looking back she found the look on Motoko's face as she caught the attack to be nearly priceless, and it brought a smile to her face. It made the usually long trip up the steps seem like nothing, and she was nearing the dorm in no time. She was pleasantly relieved to know that, with the security system they had set up courtesy of Su, that there would be no unwanted visitors later in the evening.

The moment she reached out for the door was the same moment in which she was proved wrong by means of a cold, metallic object being pressed against the back of her head.

"Make a sound, and the others die too." a gruff, middle-aged voice said softly, and Keika felt something she hadn't felt in a long, long time as all but Motoko's present fell to the ground:

Unbridled terror, and fear for her very life.

"I'm going to give you instructions, and you're going to follow them, understood?" the man behind her said, and Keika managed the subtlest nod she could as tears began to well "Good girl… now turn around."

Keika did as she was asked, turning slowly to face the man, whom she instantly recognized as the older gentleman she had passed minutes before. She wouldn't notice it at the moment, but the man was wearing a beard and colored contacts, and who knows if that was his real voice or not. She did however notice the revolver now pointed at her forehead, and she was so scared that she couldn't even cry, though the tears still rolled down her face.

"I'm going to back away towards the steps, and you're going to follow at the same rate. If you get more than a half meter away from me, everyone in that building dies, understood?" the man said simply, and Keika nodded that she did indeed understand.

The man began to move backwards, and Keika matched his pace perfectly, stopping along with the man as they reached the stairs leading down to the street.

"Good girl… now you're going to go down the stairs, and I'm going to follow you. If you get more than a half meter away from me, then I'll do far more than kill the girls in there. Understand?"

Once more Keika nodded, her tears still rolling and heart still throbbing. She moved past the man, making sure that she continued to feel the cold metal of the barrel against the back of her head as she began her trip down the stairs. The man continued to adjust the barrel to each step he took, making sure that he'd have a lethal shot no matter what, and even if Keika tried something or tripped. Keika felt like it was the longest walk she'd ever taken, and she could feel her life flash before her eyes in slides.

Her graduation… her first kiss with Hideko… the day they 'broke up'… confronting her friends… then her parents… meeting Motoko at Hinata-sou… fighting with Motoko, then later training with her… her and Motoko's first date… her first kiss with Motoko… her first 'real' kiss with Motoko… Motoko…

'_Motoko…'_ Keika thought as her throat tightened, for she had reached the base of the stairs _'My Motoko-chan…'_

"Good girl…" the man said as monotonously as ever "I don't know who you pissed off to warrant this on Christmas Eve, but I guess that doesn't matter now, does it?"

Keika knew exactly who she 'pissed off', but she didn't think about that at the moment. Instead she focused on Motoko's face, wishing the last thing she ever saw, as her eyes were closed, to be something she loved.

"Oh well, time to earn the paycheck." the man finished, pulling back the hammer on the revolver he held.

Then came the report, shattering the silence on that empty street.

* * *

_End Chapter 8_

* * *

_Author's Note: Footnotes… yay!_

_(1) Niten Ichi-ryu can be loosely translated as 'Two heavens as one' style. This was the style developed by Miyamoto Musashi, a famous swordsman in japan._

_(2) Jujutsu was originally 'invented' by samurai to deal with armored opponents or large opponents when unarmed, incapable of fighting effectively with a weapon, or in places where they could not use and/or carry weapons. Why is it a grappling art? You can't strike armor, and at the time, grappling was less common, ergo it was more effective because less people knew about it. The same thing happened in the first UFC fights, which is why people like Royce Gracie dominated the first couple of seasons._

_(3) It would make sense, as it would eventually lose energy as it went, therefore becoming less potent and move less quickly. Otherwise, ranged attacks in this universe would be too powerful because you could essentially snipe with them._

_(4) Yes, this is the 'shundo jutsu' from the Negima! manga. No, she's not been training as a ninja; the premise behind it is focusing a lot of ki into one's legs to increase their temporary movement speed to a level where it appears that you have teleported and left a brief afterimage. Given Keika's training in ki manipulation from Soyokaze-ryu and Shinmei-ryu, it didn't seem too far fetched to me._

_CLIFFHANGER!! I know most of you will hate me for it, but trust me, it was for a reason. Just bare with me; I have the first part of the next chapter already planned out in my head, so it won't take too long before I can post it. I promise this type of thing won't become a regular occurrence. Anyway, please review!_


	9. Shoot

_Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, nor am I making money from this._

_**WARNING: Blargh… BLARGH!!**_

_Authors Note: Given my MASSIVE cliffie (lol, had to say it) last chapter, I figured this chapter needed to do a bit of explaining/making up for it. So, here it goes._

* * *

_**Love Hina: All-Girls Dorm Edition**_

_Chapter 9: …Shoot_

* * *

Motoko was worried; Keika was later than she had expected her to be. She was uncomfortable enough as it was, given that she had somehow been tricked into wearing a Christmas outfit complete with a short skirt, stockings, and a tight top. Oh, and the hat, can't forget the furry red and white hat that she currently was loathing. While she wasn't the only one being impatient, she was pretty sure she was the only one worried about Keika's safety. After all, it had been quite a while since they'd had any issue from Hideko, what with Su's security system and all.

This is why she was the first one to her feet when she heard the report, with Haruka coming in a close second due to her training with firearms.

"Is anyone hurt?!" Haruka shouted, slowly receiving a set of nods from the others.

"Ano… w-what was that?" Shinobu asked, clearly scared as she lay on the floor upon Sara's lead.

"I'd have to say a revolver… close by." Haruka said, her normal cancer stick nowhere in sight "Everyone is going to stay here, and stay low while I-Motoko!"

During this, Motoko had rushed to the door, Shishui in hand as she threw it open. The first thing she noticed were the presents by the door, and then the two sets of footprints heading in two directions leading to the stairs. Motoko didn't even stop to think about what could be the situation, instead fearing the worse and heading out into the snow to the steps, which is when she heard the screams, which sent a chill down her spine.

If that weren't enough to scare her beyond belief, then the sight of the man and woman at the foot of the stairs certainly was.

"KEIKA!!"

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

_Keika heard the revolver hammer click back into place, and it was at that moment that something inside her clicked as well. Before the hammer had been fully cocked, Keika rotated her head around the barrel of the gun, spinning and turning in place to face the hitman off to one side, her left arm going up and wrapping around the wrist that was holding the revolver. Then the gun fired, but Keika had already thrown the ki enhanced punch at the man's face, which connected and removed a vast majority of his front teeth, spraying blood out onto his clothing._

_Keika wasn't done though, for she stepped behind to the inside of his guard and hooked her leg behind his own. Shifting both her arms into grabs, one on the wrist and one on his face, she twisted and threw the man to the ground over her leg. He landed hard, his head and back hitting frozen concrete with an almost sickening series of cracks as Keika wrenched the gun from his hand, breaking his trigger finger in the process. She then let the now screaming man go, bringing the revolver up to bear and taking aim at the man's left leg, pulling the trigger to find that there was no round in the chamber. She pulled four more times, but still no more rounds. She threw the gun at the man's head in her heightened state, but the man stopped screaming after the gun took a small chunk of flesh out of the side of his head._

_That's when Keika slowly realized that the man wasn't moving, his eyes shut and blood pouring from his mouth and head. Keika dropped to her knees as things slowly settled in, her eyes welling up once more._

"_KEIKA!!"_

* * *

_End Flashback_

* * *

Keika was silent… she'd been that way for quite some time now. Motoko had stayed by her side the entire time, from the point where she found Keika kneeling near the man, to the point now where everything was over and done with. The events over the last few hours were stressing on the three women, as they all had to deal with the police for quite some time.

After Motoko got to Keika's side, Haruka headed down the stairs, a SIG P226 held in her hand and trained on the man as she approached. She checked the man's pulse, seeing as Motoko was tending to a mildly shell shocked Keika, and determined that he was still alive, but that he was bleeding rather heavily. Kitsune called the emergency services from the house, and they were there in less than a quarter hour.

After taking the man to the hospital, where he'd be treated for his broken teeth, concussion, and several fractures to his head, neck, and finger before finally being arrested, it was up to Haruka, Keika, and Motoko to give statements, as well as Naru, Kitsune, and Mutsumi (as the officer was not so keen on involving the young girls of the dorm in the situation at hand, if he could help it). A CSI team took samples of everything, and the three women apparent at the scene were required to give fingerprints to sort out just what had happened. (What they were able to discern at the scene was that the hitman was using an S & W Model 60, with the intention of using the wad from a single .357 Magnum blank for the killing shot, since you can't trace blanks)

Realistically though, it was wholly unnecessary to do that for any reason other than protocol; the store across the street had a camera trained on the street because the owner put it in wrong. As such, the entire incident was caught on film, which provided evidence no jury would be confused by. Besides, the officer that arrived to take the statements, and older gentleman with hair almost as white as the snow on the ground, recognized the middle-aged man for a well known freelance contract killer they'd been trying to bag for years, so they had him on several incidents.

The one thing Motoko couldn't get over was what had occurred when Keika had to give her statement…

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

"_Well, you're being quite cooperative ma'am. Now, there's just one more question." the elder officer said with a soft expression, though his eyes were as hard as stone "Is there anyone you can think of, anyone at all, who might have reason to want you out of the picture?"_

_Keika felt her gut twist into a knot, her face paling. She knew the answer to that question, but given the situation…_

"_I… there is one person…" Keika began, holding her hands nervously in her lap._

"_A name?"_

"…"

"_Look, ma'am, I can only help you if you agree to help me." the man said softly, though the passive aggressiveness was beginning to show through "A name makes finding the one who placed the hit a lot easier, which helps us make you and those around you safe much quicker."_

"…_you won't believe me…" Keika said dejectedly, as her shoulders slumped a bit._

"_Ma'am, it doesn't matter what I believe. All I want to know is the truth; no more, no less." the officer said in a reassuring manner "Now, can you please give me the name?"_

"…_Sakata Hideko…"_

_The officer noticeably paused._

"…_was that 'Sakata Hideko'? As in, niece to Police Sergeant Sakata Ichiro?"_ _the officer asked for clarification, though his voice seemed a bit off._

"_Yes…"_

_The officer didn't do anything for a few moments, then calmly wrote something down and put his notepad away. The man's soft expression hardened quite a bit, with his eyes akin to diamonds with as hard as they were._

"_Look, I believe you, but for your sake, I'm going to say in the official report that you have no idea who would want you dead." the older gentleman said softly, making sure nobody but Keika would hear "You're not the first person to accuse the Sakata girl of hiring a hit like this. You _are_ the first one who's said that about an attack on themselves, rather than on the recently deceased."_

_Keika paled at that, knowing that Hideko had attempted, and succeeded, in this type of thing before. To say it creeped her out would be like saying that the loss of your head was a flesh wound._

"_If I put that bit about Sakata-_hime_ in the report, then the Tokyo police, lead by the Sgt. himself, will make your life, and the lives of those around you, a living hell." the officer said just as softly as he pulled out a business card, handing it to Keika "If there's anything you can tell me that will help, then call me. The line's secure; nobody will hear it but me, nobody will know what you said except me."_

_Taking the card, Keika was clearly confused as to why the officer was helping her like this._

"_Why…?"_

"_Let's just say I take a rather personal interest in matters involving Sakata Hideko." the officer said, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that there was nobody around to overhear the conversation "Now I've got to be going. Call me if you have anything that could help me out with taking care of Hideko. Sooner is better."_

* * *

_End Flashback_

* * *

'_That officer is an unusual ally in this…'_ Motoko thought as she held the silent Keika in an embrace _'With his help… maybe we can protect my Keika from harm…'_

She blushed a bit when she realized she had mentally referred to Keika as 'her Keika', but luckily Motoko's face couldn't be seen by the back of Keika's head. Silence continued, and for several moments, Motoko thought that maybe the brunette had gone to sleep. It was three in the morning, last she checked, so that wasn't too farfetched an idea.

"Motoko-chan?"

That shot down that theory, of course.

"Hai, Keika-san?"

"I'm… scared…" Keika said softly as she gripped Motoko's hands a bit tighter.

"…so am I…" Motoko honestly admitted "…I've fought battles before… even for my own life and others… but this…"

'_Turtles and my sister both pale in comparison to losing my Keika…'_ Motoko thought to herself.

"Do you… mean that, Motoko-chan?" Keika asked, her heartbeat racing as she awaited the answer.

Motoko was embarrassed beyond belief; she hadn't meant to say such a thing aloud.

"H-Hai, of course, Keika-san." Motoko stuttered out, though that didn't make it any less true "I would… I don't know what I'd do if you…"

"Motoko… do you… love… me?" Keika asked, her nerves screaming at her at the moment, and partially because she subconsciously knew she was putting Motoko on the spot.

Though her gut felt as if it was ingesting itself, and her throat suddenly got dry, the crimson-blushing Motoko managed to come up with an answer. She leaned her head forward, her lips brushing against Keika's ear, making the older girl shudder slightly. Then, so softly that only Keika could hear them, words left Motoko's lips.

"Aishite imasu…"

Keika's eyes went wide; it was a bit of a 'dream come true' for her. Not once had she ever heard those words uttered to her, and to hear them from someone she cared about so deeply… it truly brought a smile to her face, and it was a good bet she'd be crying if she had any tears left for joy.

"Really?" was all Keika could manage as she rotated in Motoko's embrace, turning to face the younger, black haired girl, her eyes anticipatory "You're not just saying-"

Motoko had leaned forward at that moment, capturing Keika's lips with her own. Keika, though surprised by the fact that Motoko was actually taking the initiative, slowly closed her eyes and began to reciprocate. A true shock to Keika was when Motoko, the romantically reserved one of the two of them, slid her tongue across Keika's lips, begging for he older woman to allow her entrance. Of course, Keika was not one to deny Motoko's request, and her lips parted.

The kiss was like none they had had before, their soft lips shifting and moving to an unsung tune, their tongues dancing along to the same silent melody. Their lips were soft, like two sheets of silk. A moan escaped Keika's lips as her arms snaked their way around Motoko's head, bringing herself closer to the one she loved. Motoko felt her body warming in a fashion she hadn't felt before, and Keika's scent was utterly intoxicating as she tightened her embrace, feeling a strange sensation building as the woman rubbed against her slightly. Slowly, little by little, the two began losing themselves in the kiss, only stopping when it became overwhelmingly clear that they needed to breath.

They broke apart, gasping slightly as they reopened their eyes to stare into the other's. Several moments passed like that, each one beholding a smile on their face. Those smiles were fleeting though as they slowly brought their lips closer once more. They froze, wide-eyed and rapidly paling, as they heard a soft cough from the direction of the doorway. Slowly, the two females turned their heads to face the door, and what awaited them happened to be the 'house mother', aka. Keika's 'Haruka-oba-san'. She seemed unfazed by the position she had caught the two younger women in, instead simply lighting up another cigarette.

"Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds, but I think you have a few things to talk to me about." Haruka said to the two unmoving girls "We'll tell the other girls when everyone's awake tomorrow, er… today, but you two aren't heading anywhere without telling me the _entire_ story that culminates with a visit from the cops."

Keika, and Motoko, both sighed simultaneously; this was going to take a while.

* * *

Haruka took the story well, though she did berate Keika long and hard about not going to the police, and _especially_ for not telling her family. The other girls also took it rather well, though Naru naturally brought up the fact that Keika could have been putting them all at risk. That was shot down by both Motoko and Haruka, and rather aggressively at that. Then came the brainstorming session about what to do in order to deal with the situation, as it appeared that the police could only help them from behind the scenes. That step didn't take nearly as long.

Su began to rapidly upgrade the security system, along with Sara's help. By the time she was done (approximately a week later), the security system could detect something the size of an ant crossing into the grounds, and had means of subduing, non-lethally of course, anything the size of a small child on up. With Sara's help, Su had managed to install the system into all the secret passage ways, officially making Hinata-sou the most secure place in the entire city of Tokyo, possibly even all of Japan (or maybe the world, given Su's penchant for awesomely badass inventions).

The other girl's were a bit less helpful, but they all did assist the woman in need. Naru and Mutsumi would always be sure to travel near Keika whenever they headed to and from the Sasagi Seminar, no matter how inconvenient it made Naru at times. Kitsune basically allotted herself to helping Haruka with 'research' into various things regarding Hideko, which was clearly a 'ask no questions, be told no lies' type of situation. Motoko would, naturally, willingly go out of her way to be near Keika when she had to leave Hinata-sou, and basically didn't take no for an answer. Shinobu… well, Shinobu was around for extra emotional support, since the others were already taking care of everything else.

This was kept up for quite some time, well past the Center Exams, and no incident occurred during that time (unless Mutsumi's complex burning down counts as an incident, though it was surely unrelated to Hideko). In fact, nothing even attempted to breach Su's security grid, nor did any suspicious characters ever come near Keika when she was out. As for the 'research', all Kitsune and Haruka could find from her 'friends' was that Hideko had a strange knack for being 'around' women who later ended up with various stress related illnesses before dying under odd circumstances in which she'd be accused by friends or relatives of the deceased. Still, aside from the odd coincidence of the deaths and her 'closeness' with them, there wasn't a splotch of evidence to suggest further involvement, since nobody had been caught till recently and even then nobody had any evidence of any exchange.

Still, with the entrance exam in just three weeks, Keika was worried about other things.

"Uh… my eyes are going to _bleed_…" Keika muttered as she fell forward, her head colliding with the table rather roughly.

"Hey! You'll damage my table if you keep that up!" Naru shouted over her textbook as she and Mutsumi worked on a particular math problem "You have to keep studying if you expect to pass on your _fourth_ try!"

"If I go _blind_ before then, it won't really matter…" Keika said into the table, holding her eyes closed in an attempt to alleviate the pain brought about by eye strain.

"Ara ara, you could always get bigger glasses." the ever happy Mutsumi said pleasantly, though it was far from a pleasant thought for Keika.

"I'd rather not…" Keika muttered, her ears catching the sound of footsteps outside her door "Who is it?"

"It's me, Keika-san." came the voice of Motoko, which brought a fairly brief smile to Keika's face.

"Come in." Keika said, her head unmoving from the table as Motoko opened the door.

The blademistress was dressed in her school uniform still, having just got home from her all-girls school.

"Are you well, Keika-san?" Motoko asked as she took a kneel next to her girlfriend.

Keika simply let loose a low, mildly agonizing moan, which was more than answer enough. Motoko simply let out a sigh as she put a hand on Keika's back, rubbing it lightly.

"Keika-san, though I should not be the one to talk, I do believe that you are overexerting yourself in your studies." Motoko stated.

"Gee, I thought the pain in my eyes was a sign I was doing just fine." Keika said, her statement dripping sarcasm, though she was enjoying the comforting gesture by her girlfriend.

"Sarcasm does not become you." Motoko said bluntly, then switched to a much more polite tone "How would you like to meet me at the kendo club meeting tomorrow after school?"

Keika finally looked up from her spot on the desk, raising a brow in a questioning expression.

"You need a break, and I might be able to arrange it so you could spar with them." Motoko explained "If you do not want to, that is fine, but you need to do something other than study."

"But-"

"I do not want to have to ask Sara-san to hide your books in the tunnels, Urashima-san," Motoko said, her brow furrowed "but I will if that is the only way to get you to stop overexerting yourself."

Keika sighed; that was the end of that discussion.

"Sure." Keika finally relented "But can I finish studying today at least?"

"Hm… I think I'll join you." Motoo said, moving around to the empty side of the kotatsu in Naru's room "That is not a problem, is it?"

"No, not at all. Four minds are better than three after all." Naru said from behind her textbook "Just don't start making out in front of us."

"Ara, but they look so happy when they do!" Mutsumi said, bringing everyone else in the room into a fervent blush "They seem to be perfect for each other!"

"Th-That's not the point!" Naru exclaimed "Look, this is a _study_ group, nothing else! No making out, not 'funny' stuff, nothing else except studying!"

"Ara ara, but what about yester-" Mutsumi began in her normal, ditsy manner, but Naru's hand cut the girl off roughly.

"Just. Studying." Naru reiterated, her face a brilliant blush, then shot a glance at the other two "Understood?"

The two nodded, then quickly focused on the book they had to share between them.

* * *

"I'm starting to worry about you." Naru said as she and Mutsumi traveled with Keika to Motoko's school "You're stopping your studying for the day to go play with highschool girls."

"Well the way you say it makes it sound dirty…" Keika replied bitterly "Motoko offered an invitation, and I can afford to miss one day of studying."

"Ara, do you think anyone there is as strong as Motoko-chan?" Mutsumi wondered aloud "If she trains them half as much as she does you, they have to be pretty strong."

Keika found herself blushing, but Naru simply rolled her eyes.

"I doubt Motoko trains them the same way she trains Keika." Naru stated with a bit of distaste "Unless she gets 'benefits' from the girl's there too."

Keika, though still blushing at what Naru was suggesting, still shot her a glare, though it was rather pathetic when combined with the blush. Eventually the school was in sight, and Naru and Mutsumi made their break for it while they could. After all, they had 'studying' to get to. Keika recognized the school as one of the better all-girls school in the Tokyo area, and she had to admit that it seemed the perfect place for Motoko. Luckily, Keika had spoken to one of the administrators on her way in, so she didn't have to check in.

As she recalled, Motoko informed her that they would be using their clubroom for their meeting, but that their meeting wouldn't begin for another quarter hour. The clubroom was a smaller attachment to the private gym on the school grounds, though they also had license to use the gym as well if necessary. According to Motoko, she'd leave the side door to the gym open for Keika, in case she got their early. For that Keika was thankful.

The gym wasn't overly large, but it was definitely nothing to sneeze at. As she had been told, the gym side door was open, and she was able to enter without a hitch. When she tried to figure out where the kendo club's room was, she was a bit confused as to which door led where. She began to wander about the gym, noticing how it appeared to be equipped with just about everything you'd need for your typical physical education class. While admiring the impressive collection of sports equipment stored in one of the storerooms (she opened the wrong door), she heard voices from nearby. Figuring that the club had started early, Keika made her way to the door that held the voices.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I-" Keika began apologetically, but stopped the moment she realized that this was probably not the kendo club.

Inside what was clearly the kendo clubroom was a small collection of highschool boys, as well as what appeared to be their coach. By their dress, and the fact that each carried a practice weapon of some nature, and Keika concluded that this was probably a kendo club, or possibly team, from another school that allowed boys. As she was the new arrival, Keika had become the focus of their attention.

"Ah, about time you got here." the coach said, eyeing her up quickly, though Keika felt a bit uncomfortable around him "Hm… not what I was expecting from the rumors."

Keika gave the man an odd look as quiet mutterings began to spread throughout the highschool boys.

"You've… heard rumors about me?" Keika asked carefully, taking note of her surroundings given the oddity of the situation.

"Who hasn't? The great Aoyama Motoko, the prodigy of the secret art of Shinmei-ryu." the coach said with a forced grin "Never figured you for the type to wear glasses or defy dress code."

Keika then let loose a sigh, a smile crossing her features.

"Oh, gomenasai, but you're mistaken." Keika said politely, bowing appropriately "My name is Urashima Keika. Motoko-chan asked me to visit her school and club today."

"Oh… my mistake." the coach said, his smile dropping instantly "Do you know when she'll be here?"

"Well, it should be about ten minutes still." Keika explained "At least, that's when she told me she'd be here."

"Ten minutes? Hmph, fine." the man as he took a seat on the floor, his displeasure evident on his face.

Keika continued to stand as the various students began to follow their coach's, or possibly master's, lead, sitting properly on the floor with their weapons at their side. Glances continue to be made in her direction, and it was starting to become annoying. Minutes ticked by in silence, until Keika couldn't take it anymore.

"Ano… Motoko didn't mention any other school's kendo club being here today." Keika said, hoping to spark a bit of conversation to alleviate the awkwardness.

"She wouldn't have; she doesn't know we're here." the coach said simply "We decided to drop in today instead of our usual practice."

Keika found this odd, of course, so she felt a further inquiry was in store.

"Why?"

"Because there's a mixed martial arts and weapons budokai coming up, and the Tokyo school system was willing to support students in the tournament." the man explained, quickly growing in irritation "There's only one spot left though, and it's reserved for the best kendoka from either this school or my school."

"So you're here to determine who is better?" Keika asked, putting the whole scenario together.

"Damn straight." the coach said, moments before the door opened to reveal Motoko and the rest of her kendo club.

Her face immediately twisted into a glare at the sight of the male students in the room.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Motoko demanded, a firm hand on the sword sheath she wore over one shoulder, with the girls behind her showing a variety of reactions.

"Are you Aoyama Motoko?" the coach asked, still sounding like a bitter grump.

"And if I am?"

"Then on behalf of TGU High, I issue you a challenge." (1) the coach said as he stood to his feet "You, Aoyama Motoko, against the best kendoka from TGU, with the winner getting the slot that the school is offering up in the upcoming budokai."

Murmurs began to circulate through the female populace behind Motoko, who was staring the man down with everything she had. Motoko snorted once, then lifted her head a bit higher.

"I need to speak to someone first before I agree to your terms." Motoko said firmly, shocking everyone in the room.

"Who might this person be?" the coach asked, crossing his arms haughtily.

"My deshi." Motoko answered, eliciting gasps from the various girls, and setting Keika's eyes wide.

"Oh? The girl has a student?" the coach said, smiling and appearing a bit incredulous "and who might this 'deshi' be?"

"I… believe she means me." Keika spoke up, drawing everyone's attention to her, though she honestly did not want such attention.

"You? You must be joking!" the coach insisted loudly "You're no a kendoka!"

Motoko simply ignored the man, moving over to Keika's position and stepping close enough for her to whisper in her ear.

"Keika-san, I do not want to involve you in this if you truly do not want to participate, but I wish for you to fight by my side in this." Motoko whispered softly, setting Keika's eyes as wide as they could go.

"But… 2 on 1…"

"No, 2 on 2, master and student fighting together," Motoko said, quickly pressing a soft, and unseen by others, kiss to Keika's cheek "or as girlfriends in our case."

"I don't know if I can take _any_ of these guys on…" Keika replied softly, looking at the hardened bunch of young kendoka out in front of her.

"You can; you've come close to beating me on more than one occasion." Motoko replied just as softly "I _know_ you can beat any one of these fools, it's just a matter of if you would like to become involved or not."

Knowing that Motoko was not one to lie to her for _any_ reason, Keika took one last glance over the kendoka on the other side of the room.

"…I take the weaker one, right?"

Motoko found herself quickly overjoyed.

"If you wish."

"…sure, I'll give it my best."

With another quick kiss to Keika's cheek, and Motoko turned around to the coach with a look revealing more confidence than she could have possibly fathomed.

"I accept your challenge, but only under the conditions that the fight be amongst sensei and deshi." Motoko declared to the coach, who found the idea amusing.

"Deal." the coach said as he withdrew his own bokken from the soft case on his back "May the best _man_ win."

* * *

The gym had kendoka along either wall; male kendoka lined the far wall, and female kendoka lined the near wall. In the middle stood four combatants; two males and two females. Three of the four wielded bokken and were dressed in hakama's and gi, while the last one, who happened to be keika, simply wore a short sleeve, black athletic shirt (such as Underarmor) and a set of baggy shorts that passed her knees by about an inch. Of the four, Keika was the most nervous, for aside from the Christmas Eve issue with the hitman, she had never truly 'fought' anyone besides Motoko, who had beaten her fairly easily.

Still, she had agreed to this match, so she wasn't going to back out.

"Don't you need a blade, girl?" the coach asked as he spied Keika over "And a uniform?"

"I don't fight with weapons, and I don't have a 'uniform'." Keika answered, bringing a smile to the coach's face.

"Eh, suit yourself." the coach retorted "Are we ready to go, _girls_?"

Keika and Motoko both nodded, and Motoko began the process of initializing the match.

"Bow."

Everyone bowed respectfully, though only the deshi did it entirely out of respect.

"Stand."

Everyone stood, facing their opponents: Keika against the best student in the club, and Motoko against the coach.

"Ready."

Everyone took their stances, with the three kendoka drawing their blades.

"Go!" Motoko finally shouted, launching herself at her opponent.

Keika watched as her opponent advanced rapidly, noticing that Motoko and the coach had already initiated their first strikes, both of which met in midair and resulted in a loud, echoing crack. Keika's opponent came down with a quick downward slash, but Keika noticed that the strike was no where near Motoko's speed. She sidestepped the simple strike with ease, then backed out of the way of the horizontal slash at her midsection. Keika then leapt backwards, putting some distance between herself and the kendoka, focusing ki for her Gurenken technique as the man used his momentum and stance to throw a stab at Keika.

Grabbing the 'back' of the blade with her hands, Keika pulled the blade towards her, using his forward momentum against him and putting him off balance. Then, as her arm was already cocked back, she launched it forward and caught her kendoka opponent in the chest with the full force of her ki enhanced punch. He flew backwards for some distance before landing and rolling backwards a few times. He didn't get back up, as the wind was knocked out of him.

During this, Motoko was having a time fighting against the coach, who was more skilled than she had given him credit for. However, they were facing off in what amounted to mid range combat, or 'weapons range'. Motoko's specialty was not at mid range, but rather at long range with the use of ki techniques. So, after parrying one last strike, Motoko shot backward several meters, then focused her ki into her weapon.

"Hiken: Jakuzankuusen!" Motoko shouted as she swung, sending a quick wave of ki outward and catching the coach as he made the mistake of rushing Motoko head on.

The coach was subsequently disarmed and blown into the wall behind him, where he dented it significantly as his weapon fell to the ground.

The winner was clear, and Keika found herself in awe that it had been so easy.

"…wow…" Keika uttered as she realized what this meant "Am… am I going into the tournament because of this?"

* * *

_End Chapter 9_

* * *

_Author's Note: Footnotes…_

_(1) __Tokyo Gakkan Urayasu High School, which is a real senior high school in Tokyo_

_Well, anyway, here's the end to the cliffie, was it good? I actually wrote this entire chapter while listening to 'Scars' by Papa Roach… did it show? (lol) I do think that the song is a fitting theme for Keika though… but alas, that's enough blabbering. Now go review!!_

_Oh, and I promise the combat will become more flashy and cool in the chapters to come; I personally wanted this one to be more realistic because of the feel this chapter gives off._


	10. A Step Above

_Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, nor am I making money from this._

_**WARNING: Exceptionally awesome, proceed with caution.**_

_Authors Note: Well, I basically skipped the entirety of Book 8 of the manga, which puts us at Book 9 which has a rather interesting plot involving Motoko in it. I'll give you a hint: it involves Tsuruko. Then, there's the tournament I mentioned in the last chapter, so I'll have to take care of that at some point too… hm… let's see how this chapter turns out, shall we?_

* * *

_**Love Hina: All-Girls Dorm Edition**_

_Chapter 10: A Step Above_

* * *

Motoko was waiting somewhat patiently in the living room, along with the other non-Toudai testing students. The party supplies were ready to go, and the banners were set up. The only thing missing from the congratulations party was the, hopefully now, Toudai students. By Motoko's count, they should be arriving home any time-

Then the door was blown across the room, forcing Su, Shinobu, and Sara to dodge out of the way as the door continued down the length of the hallway. Motoko of course was up and ready with blade in hand, but that proved unnecessary given that the person who kicked in the door was also the person Motoko most wanted to see. By the smiling, utterly elated look on Keika's face, Motoko was beyond sure that the woman had passed.

"I PASSED!!" Keika shouted at the top of her lungs "I ACTUALLY _PASSED_!!"

Then, faster than she had ever moved in one of her sparring matches, Keika was in a deep, somewhat forceful lip lock with Motoko, who hadn't even seen Keika move. That ended a moment later when Keika began to jump around like a madwoman, putting on quite the spectacle for all to see.

"I finally made it! I'm finally a _Toudai student_!" Keika continued to shout as she leapt about without a care "I'm in! No fourth year ronin study-fest for me! I'm finally off to bigger-ACH!"

Keika, in her blatantly inattentive state, failed to notice the slight spill that had resulted from Sara having do dodge the door that had previously flown down the hallway. As such, she landed in the spill, slipped, and immediately launched herself face first into the hard wood that the floor was composed of. The loud, echoing crack of the floor breaking beneath Keika's face resounded for some time before the dent, mild head trauma, and broken glasses were the only things left to show what had happened. Most of the girls simply sweatdropped, but Motoko also held her face in her hand in embarrassment.

"Hey, what happened to the door?" Naru asked as she stepped in with Mutsumi to see the scene at hand "…do I want to know why-"

"No." was the collective answer.

* * *

Keika couldn't be happier at the moment. She had just gotten back from the Toudai freshman ceremony, she had already taken care of all of her classes, her relationship with Motoko was the best it had ever been, and she hadn't had _any_ problem involving 'that blonde bitch' since she had taken care of that hitman back on Christmas. Her life, in her mind, couldn't get much better at the moment. Now she had nothing but free time before classes began in a week, which gave her time to plan things with Motoko, like going on a date at that new restaurant near Toudai, or maybe that new movie theater near that love hotel…

And that was the end of Keika's psyche, for then the love hotel idea came to the forefront of Keika's mind, along with some… interesting images.

'_Oh my _lord_! How can I be thinking that about Motoko-chan!'_ Keika found herself thinking as she stood at the top of the stairs _'Gah! I've been hanging around Shirai and Haitani too much!'_

'_It's only natural to seek physical pleasure with the one you love…'_

Keika was shocked that her own mind had said something like that. Oddly enough though, it did make some sense… but she wasn't going to admit that right now. First she had to get to her room to change into something more comfortable, then she'd wait for Motoko to get out of class and then the weekend was officially theirs.

"Keika." the voice of Haruka called out from the side steps leading to her tea shop "Hold up a moment."

Keika turned to see just what Haruka wanted, and her jaw nearly dropped when she saw what it was. In Haruka's hands was a soft katana case, the same one she had got for Motoko as a gift at Christmas. However, because of everything that had happened… she'd completely forgotten about it.

"Where did you-?"

"It's been down at the tea house since we went down there with the police." Haruka explained, lit cigarette hanging limply in her mouth all the while "I figured there's a certain 'kendo girl' you planned on giving this to at some point."

Haruka then tossed the weapon over to Keika, who caught it carefully.

"It might have to wait until the two of you get back though." Haruka said nonchalantly as she began to head down the steps to her tea house once more.

"Huh? Get back from where?"

"You don't remember?" Haruka asked, stopping to turn and face Keika with a quirked brow "The budokai you and Motoko got yourselves entered into?"

Keika held a blank expression for a few seconds, then began to panic as she checked her phone to see what time it is (she doesn't wear a watch).

"That's _this_ weekend?!" Keika yelped as she ran into the house (through the new door she had to buy after she destroyed the first one) "The final registrations start in three hours!"

Haruka simply laughed, tapping away some of the ash from her cigarette as she continued to make her way back down to her tea house.

* * *

"Wow… this… this is a large tournament, isn't it?" Keika asked as she and Motoko attempted to weave their way through the large crowd of people.

"Not really; this is only an minor championship." Motoko explained "Even still, there appears to be some big name fighters here."

"Oh? Like who?" Keika asked as she literally ducked under the arm of a man that towered over her.

"Urashima Keika." Motoko said with a grin, bringing a brilliant blush to Keika's face.

Their final registrations, as well as waiver signings, were complete, so now they simply waited for the tournament to begin. There were more than a hundred people there, all hailing from nearly every art in existence. Judoka, muay thai fighters, boxers, wrestlers, fencers, kendoka… there was literally everyone there. As for Motoko and Keika, they were signed in under Shinmei-ryu, which said it all then and there. Both received numbers, and both had received the number 'one'. Basically, the idea was that they would be in one of a specialized series of matches to eliminate all but eight fighters, who would go on to the actual one on one fighting rounds. Luckily, it appeared as if Motoko and Keika would be in the same test group, and as there were four test groups, there would be two 'winners' from each group.

That thought had sent another though through both their minds more than once. What would happen if it came down to the two of them fighting? They had resolved to fight as opponents, not as master and student… but even then…

"**May I have everyone's attention!"** the comm system blared from above in the stadium they were in **"The preliminary rounds will begin in fifteen minutes! Participants in group one need to be ready by then! As a final reminder, remember that 'live' weapons are not allowed under **_**any**_** circumstances!"**

"Well… here goes nothing…" Keika muttered as she and Motoko quickly found the women's locker room so they could change into their uniforms.

* * *

'_Wow… this might be harder than I thought…'_ Keika thought as she stood in the far corner of the ring.

Her combat outfit now consisted of a black, sleeveless athletic shirt (once again, think Underarmor) with baggy shorts that extended to about midway down her shins. Her shoes remained (as they allowed them, just as they allowed weapons), but the black gloves she wore only extended to the first joint of her fingers and thumb, revealing a bit of the spiraling scar on her left hand's ring finger. Also, her glasses were missing; she wore contacts instead (though she hated having to put them in, and was _really _going to hate having to take them out).

However, that wasn't her main concern. What was her major concern were the ten men in the oversized ring with her, each one a skilled martial artist in some fashion. Two even wielded bokken, while a third one held a staff. In order to 'win' the preliminary round for her section, everyone but two people had to be knocked out of the ring, knocked unconscious, or forced to submit. Luckily Motoko was there, so she knew who the other person was going to be, so all she had to do was make sure she was the other one.

"**All contestants in Group 1; the preliminary round will be a free for all battle. Winners of this match will move on to the Quarter Finals. As a final reminder: any shots done with the intent of permanent injury will result in immediate disqualification, as will any cheap shots, such as eye pokes, hair pulling, groin shots, and finger breaks."**

The fact that the announcer had to specify that did nothing to put Keika at ease.

"**All fighters, ready yourselves!"** the announcer finally said, and Keika, along with the eleven other fighters, took their proper stances **"On my mark… FIGHT!!"**

No sooner had the word left the announcer's mouth that the place turned into a warzone. It was but a moment later that Keika heard something she'd heard all too often in her training with Motoko.

"Hiken: Jakuzankuusen!"

Keika immediately ducked under the wave of ki set about chest height, but the other fighters were not so lucky. Each of the ten male fighters was literally blown several meters away, with some flying further till the wall stopped them. After the various bodies had landed, Keika and Motoko remained the only one's standing, and Motoko appeared to have note even moved. Keika thought she looked stupid; like she was kissing the ground out of overwhelming relief.

"**Good… good kami-sama… the match is over… and it didn't even take a second for that highschool girl to knock **_**all but one opponent out of the ring**_**… with one strike!"**

'_That's Motoko for you…' _Keika thought with a grin, though it rapidly faded _'Oh lord… I have to fight her in the quarter finals!'_

* * *

The ring was now smaller, Keika noticed, but the major difference was that there was now a crowd… a very, very large crowd. Keika quickly realized that being in front of such a large crowd was a bit disheartening. Glancing over at Motoko on the other side of the ring, Keika noticed that she was calm, almost oblivious to the world around her. Keika figured that that was inevitably a bad thing for her. Keika was so lost in thought that she didn't even register the com system until the crowd began to roar in response to something.

"…**Then let us get the quarterfinals underway! In the red and white on the north side we have a seventeen-year-young (1) mistress of the secret art of Shinmei-ryu standing in at one-hundred seventy-three centimeters, a weight of… um… unknown… and wielding both beauty and a blade. Let's hear it for Aoyama Motoko!**

A mixture of displeasure and approval roared throughout the stadium, but once more it appeared as if Motoko did not hear a word of it. Keika honestly wondered how she did it.

"**In the street clothes on the south side we have a twenty year young… wait, this can't be right! Ladies and gentlemen, both fighters hail from the secret art of Shinmei-ryu!"**

Murmurs began to spread throughout the crowd, but that didn't stop the announcer.

"**However, the fighter on the south side, who stands at one-hundred seventy-one centimers, has a weight that is also unknown, and wields nothing but that which the gods have so generously blessed her with, practices the famed sword style **_**without the use of a weapon**_**! Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for Urashima Keika!"**

Just like with Motoko, Keika found herself hailed by a evidently mixed view. It was all she could to not panic and do something stupid in front of all these people.

"**Wait a moment, we've just received an anonymous bit of information about the contestants…"**

Motoko and Keika both heard this part, and both were blushing a brilliant shade of crimson.

"…**it appears that this battle is not just between fighters of the same art, but also between **_**master and student**_**! Aoyama Motoko happens to be Urashima Keika's sensei!"**

Both Motoko and Keika sighed in relief as the crowd began to cheer louder than they had earlier for either of them. Motoko assumed her dissociation from the sound, while Keika simply tried her best to remain still.

"**Well then, as it appears that I've gone on long enough, let us move on to the actual match with our referee Hamada!"**

Keika and Motoko were both surprised at the name, and even more surprised when they found that it was the same Hamada whom they knew from the sword museum. The man simply chuckled as he moved toward them, motioning for them to meet in the center of the ring.

"Well, fancy meeting you two here." Hamada said with a grin "Small world, eh girls?"

Neither said anything, but both nodded.

"Now, as I am the referee for this fight, you will listen to me when I tell you to stop or break up. You win by submission, ring out, 10-count out, or knockout. Do I need to cover the other rules?" Hamada began, in a strong tone, and thus received a shake of the head from both younger women "Good, then bow and head to your sides. You fight on my go."

Keika and Motoko bowed fully to one another, showing the utmost respect for each other before heading to their sides. They stood waiting as Hamada made his way to his spot at the east edge of the ring, turning to face them a moment later.

"Ready?" Hamada asked loudly, and he was met with the two women quickly dropping into their stances, which brought a grin to his face "Begin!"

Immediately the two women fired off a ranged ki blast, not bothering to shout the attack in the process of fighting to their utmost. In their case, their utmost consisted of speed, speed, and a lot of ki. After the two initial ki attacks met and culminated in a small, but harmless, explosion of ki, they met in the radiant ki that was rapidly dissipating, a large crack echoing from their location as fist and wood struck against each other. Keika's hand was protected by her ki so that she could parry Keika's strike, but she was having a time of physically holding Motoko's strike back with both her hands.

"Not a bad start, Keika-san." Motoko said, straining a bit to push Keika's guard down.

"Arigatou, Motoko-chan." Keika replied through grit teeth, her legs beginning to shake a bit under the force Motoko was putting her under.

Eventually the floor of the ring began to crack, and Keika found that if things kept up, she'd be forced into the ground and rapidly lose her mobility. She quickly let Motoko gain a bit of movement with her blade, then redirected it to the side away from her. This gave her a brief opening, in which she threw a Gurenken strike straight at Motoko's exposed stomach. Motoko was faster though and managed to knock Keika's strike away with her blade before going for a strike herself. Keika deflected Motoko's strike as well before firing her own barrage of punches and kicks off.

Motoko matched her strikes with blocks, launching her own strikes to be met with blocks and deflections. Both women's strikes, blocks, and subtle movements became faster and faster. The crowd was going wild as the movements of their arms and weapons neared a blur, and even more so when Motoko managed to knock one of Keika's arms out of her defensive area, moving in with a ki flooded strike that struck true.

Keika flew backward, bits of the cloth around her stomach flying off along with the minimal amount of blood the ki had loosed from her body. She caught her landing though, landing on one hand that helped her put her feet on the ground to slow her backwards motion. Although she was now in a relatively defensive crouch, that wasn't enough to stop Motoko from rushing her with another strike, another influx of ki surrounding the blade. Keika had barely enough time to roll out of the way of the strike as it came crashing down, taking a rather potent chunk out of the hard floor of the ring and kicking it up as dust.

From her roll she managed to get to her feet, and from there she was able to attempt an effective counter to Motoko's vertical slash. She stepped in and grabbed Motoko at her wrists, pulled her to one side and down, and then tried to trip her using her leg. Motoko, being the one to teach Keika such a throw, didn't allow it to happen. She intentionally moved her forward leg out farther to keep her balance, which also put her arms in an opportune position. Before Keika knew what exactly had happened, she had Motoko's legs clamp down on either side of her, her arms forced in another direction, and her face shoved mercilessly into the hard ground with the rest of her body following not long after.

Motoko released her hold and got to her feet as Keika slowly got out of her daze and wiped some of the blood from her nose off. It would heal a moment later, but it still didn't look that good to have blood trickling from your nose so early in the fight. As Keika was standing up, Motoko had the point of her bokken pointed against Keika's throat, a serious frown on her face as the crowd was screaming for a submission.

"What do you think this is, Urashima?" Motoko said in a low growl "This is _not_ a sparring match; this is a _battle_! If you think I will pull any punches here, you are sadly mistaken! If _you_ pull any, or hesitate in the slightest, you will lose!"

Keika, who had begun to sweat a bit due to the 'blade' pressed against her throat, was slowly going through what was being said. Soon the blade was being pulled away from Keika's throat, with Motoko's face softening a bit. This was a great displeasure to the crowd, but Motoko didn't seem to care.

"That was your only freebie, Keika-san." Motoko said simply "I will not give you another break."

Keika nodded in understanding before Motoko took several steps back before dropping down in her stance once more. Keika quickly dropped into hers as well, taking a few deep breaths as she sought to focus herself once more. Soon, her hands were alight with the Gurenken technique, and both women's eyes were set for battle. About the time the crowd was beginning to get into an uproar, there was a shattering of stone as the floor of the ring cracked in two spots where there had previously been two female fighters hailing from Shinmei-ryu.

In the center of them there stood the two ki empowered figures with their blows caught in the other's. Neither was moving, nor was either one being pressed into the ground like their first stalemate of strikes. Both pulled back at the same time and threw their next strikes, with Motoko's vertical strike connecting with Keika's high kick. Unfortunately for Keika, Motoko swept her other leg and sent into a spin that kept her in the air for a split second.

'_Oh shit…'_ Keika thought as Motoko's blade lay above her, glowing with ki moments before it came crashing down across Keika's body.

Luckily, Keika had managed to throw up a guard to prevent a full strike along the median of her body, but that didn't stop her from landing on the ring floor and cracking it with the full backside of her body. Keika didn't move for a time, her eyes open staring into the ceiling above her. Unknown to her, the count had begun though, so Motoko had stopped her assault, albeit with a disappointment that she had overestimated her girlfriend and student.

'_I've been going all out since the start, but she knows my moves better than _I_ do!'_ Keika thought, the count reaching three by this point _'I'm basically playing her at her own game! How do I defeat the person who taught me one of the martial…'_

By the time the count had hit six, Keika's eyes shot open fully.

'_Rule number one: never play to your opponents advantage.'_ Keika though at the count of eight _'Including their style.'_

"**9!"**

Keika grinned right as she shot to her feet, stopping the count just as the announcer was about to shout the last fateful number. Motoko let a small smile of relief grace her features, but quickly took up her stance. Keika, whom had quickly stifled her grin in favor of a pseudo-serious expression, took up her stance as well. Like the last time they finished getting into their stances, Keika and Motoko met in the middle between them, their ki enhanced strikes holding of one another's.

However, unlike last time, Keika grinned, which put Motoko a bit off.

"Hiken:…" Keika said as the ki around her hand began to change from it's previous form.

Motoko was shocked to see what was happening, which slowed her response to the impending attack.

"…Zankoushou!" Keika shouted as the ki from her hand erupted outward, engulfing Motoko's entire left arm in what could only be described as a torrent or beam of ki. (2)

The blast of ki only extended for about a meter and a half, and lasted for just over a second, but it was more than enough to do some damage. After pulling out from the attack, Motoko found that her entire left sleeve was entirely gone, with her exposed arm covered in a variety of ki based cuts and abrasions. The crowd was going wild by this point, and the smiling Keika felt a massive boost in her confidence, having finally landed an effective strike against her master. Motoko, though hurting a bit, was also smiling.

'_So… she's got a few tricks up her sleeve, huh?' _Motoko thought as she prepared herself for another assault _'So have I."_

Motoko rushed at Keika, her ki wrapping around her blade in an unusual fashion.

"Ougi: Raimeiken!" Motoko shouted as she swung her blade down as fast as the lightning that was crackling about it.

She met Keika's guard and cut through it, striking the ground and literally shattering the ring from that point outward as the power in the attack dispersed. Now standing in a pile of rubble, Motoko was confused to note that Keika's form was nowhere to be found. Her senses alerted her to an impending attack from behind though, and Motoko flipped her blade around to parry the axe kick that nearly struck her on the top of the head. Unfortunately, there was a nasty surprise waiting for her.

"Hiken: Zankoushou Kai!" Motoko heard from Keika's mouth, and given her position she was effectively powerless as the explosion of ki ripped downwards across her crouched form.

The attack was actually powerful enough to launch a backlash two meters into the air after decimating the ring further, though it was not powerful enough to do damage to Keika as she leapt back several meters and got into her stance. Due to the massive influx of ki throughout her body, and combined with her heightened emotional and combative state, her eyes had been warped into a more feral, beastlike appearance. (3)

After the dust and residual ki dissipated, what remained amidst the crater in the ground was a battle torn Motoko, standing in a passive stance whilst facing Keika. Her gi and hakama were obviously ruined beyond repair, and ki induced damage was apparent across her entire form. However, the fact that she was standing was proof enough that she was still able to fight.

"…this is getting _interesting_!" Motoko began in a normal voice, though she was shouting at the end as she looked up to catch Keika's eyes.

Motoko's eyes looked damn near demonic, and the flare up of ki across her entire body was more than enough to scare any normal fighter. What happened next was a utterly awe inspiring, as both fighters began to tear into each other worse than they had been at any point during the fight. Keika's ki bursts alone were destroying the ring around them, but Motoko's lightning variant attacks were making the landscape look like the cracked floor of a dried lakebed. Once or twice it was evident that one of them had landed a devastating attack on the other, but it was more often than not that they were parrying, blocking, or outright dodging and countering the attack being thrown at them.

Unfortunately, at the rate they were using up ki, combined with the speed with which they were throwing such devastating blows, all the while trying to heal the damage done to them, and anyone could come to the conclusion that neither fighter could keep up such a heightened state of attack for too long. Indeed, after a final series of ki attacks the two fighters slowed to a stop within three meters of one another. Keika was bleeding from every limb, with blood flowing out from her mouth as well. Her clothes were hanging on by a thread, and the only undamaged thing on her was her hands and gloves because of the constant stream of protective ki that had been flowing around them. Motoko was in a similar state, her body bloody and torn to hell, with her gi completely missing to expose her chest wraps while her hakama had been turned into a skirt shorter than the one she wore to school.

Both fighters were breathing heavily, and both of them had completely dropped their guards.

"You… you've gotten better… than I thought…" Motoko gasped out between breaths.

"Ar… arigatou… Mo…Mo… Mo-chan…" Keika managed, only being able to remember the first syllable of Motoko's name in her drained state "…I… I don't think…I can…"

Motoko didn't seem to be hearing her as she approached her student slowly, lifting her blade into a ready position for a strike. With the last bit of her ki, she dashed at Keika, who didn't appear to be able to move. As Motoko swung though, her bokken passed through Keika entirely, revealing that it was simply an afterimage. An instant later Motoko felt an arm wrap around her neck loosely, then felt a fist lightly tap where her left kidney was. (4) Something then leaned into her, and the only thing she could manage was to keep standing with her ki.

"Did… did I…?" Keika tried to ask incoherently, moments before she passed out on Motoko's back.

"…Hai…" was Motoko's response as she collapsed to her knees under Keika's weight, the world around her eventually fading out.

* * *

Motoko soon found herself coming to facing a white light, and for a moment, Motoko wondered if maybe she had expended so much ki that she had died. This was dispelled when she noticed the machine to her left that was making a beeping sound that sounded distinctly like the rhythm of her heart.

'_Oh… I'm in a hospital.'_ Motoko realized as she looked around in her clearing vision _'I must have lost the fight…'_

She was smiling after she thought that. Though she had lost, she was happy that Keika had grown so strong. As her sensei, she was happy that her student had surpassed ehr. As her girlfriend, she had to admit that she found Keika's strength _very_ attractive… and a big turn on (though she'd never admit that). Because of these, she was confused to find the woman of her thoughts and dreams in a chair nearby, smiling back at her.

"Good afternoon, Motoko-chan." Keika said with a pleasant smile, having gone back to her normal style of dress, complete with glasses "Glad to see you're awake."

Motoko, who had shot up after she heard Keika's voice, was staring at her with the utmost confusion.

"Wha…? Keika-san? What are you doing here?" Motoko asked in a surprised tone "Aren't you supposed to be at the tournament?"

Keika blushed and began to nervously scratch her head.

"Actually… the tournament ended yesterday." Keika explained "Today's Sunday."

Motoko was now a mixture of confusion and elation.

"So… who won?"

"I don't know his name, but some guy from Thailand who practices Muay Thai." Keika said with a shrug "I wasn't even there for it; I woke up about two hours ago."

Motoko immediately deadpanned.

"…so… we both… lost?" Motoko asked, still feeling a bit numb after just waking up.

"Well… _technically_ it was a tie, since we both passed out during the match." Keika said as she rubbed her head nervously again "Personally, I like to think that we both won…"

Motoko, though still feeling a bit numb from having just woke up, actually started laughing somewhat. Keika found the odd burst amusement from the younger girl to be a bit weird, especially given how Motoko was.

"Ah… to think that we both got eliminated in the first round…" Motoko said with a grin "Against any other opponent, I would feel ashamed, but instead I feel proud that you've become more my equal."

Keika blushed a bit at this, as it was a compliment that she actually felt proud of her in a master-student sense. Keika was then reminded of the match, and then of the surprise she had for her girlfriend, which was set next to her.

"Oh, Motoko-chan, we made the headlines." Keika said as she stood and moved over next to Motoko, holding out the front page of the newspaper "See?"

Motoko, though silently dreading what was going to be put in front of her, read over the title of the article

**Budokai Begins With It's Most Destructive Match On Record-**_**Female masters of Shinmei-ryu engaged in an almost supernatural fight destroy the budokai ring beyond 'normal' repair**_

By this pointing, Motoko had stopped reading and let out a sigh. On the paper was a picture of Motoko and Keika, with the latter blowing a huge crater in the ground with one of her ki attacks.

"It could be worse, you know." Keika said as she put the paper back where she found it on a nearby table "They could have put the one of us bleeding and bruised when we passed out."

"I just hope anue doesn't see this…" Motoko muttered as she lay back down on her bed "…do you know when we can leave?"

"Well, the doctor's cleared me to go, but given the time, they'll probably let you go tomorrow morning." Keika explained as she took a seat in the nearby chair "I don't know if you'll be able to make it to school though."

"Will you be leaving?"

"No, I'll be here all night," Keika said with a smile "so just rest, and thank kami-sama that you and I both heal better than the average person."

'_If we didn't, we'd both be in here for a week at least.'_

* * *

"Well, home sweet home." Keika said as she and Motoko both finished ascending the steps "It'll be quiet for a while."

"Unless Konno-san decides to mess with us." Motoko muttered under her breath as she shifted her gear on her back "It's already too late to bother heading to school."

"Yeah… and we won't be doing anything on the first day anyway." Keika rationalized as she and Motoko headed inside "Hm… that's odd."

"What is?"

"If I remember right, now is when the horse races take place." Keika explained as she moved to get a look at the couch, noticing that something was not there "Kitsune's normally here watching the races now…"

"Do you think she's here?" Motoko asked as she set her gear nearby, planning on taking it up later.

"Well, I would think not; she doesn't _not_ watch the races when she's here." Keika responded as she went and took a look down the hall towards the kitchen "Unless she's hiding somewhere, we've got the place all to ourselves."

"Hm… alright then. So what should we do now?"

"Well…" Keika began as she took a seat on the empty couch "…I think we should lay off the sparring for today…"

"…agreed." Motoko said after a moment as she leaned against a wall "As much as I'd hate to miss another day of training, our bodies are still recovering from our fight two days ago."

"Well… yours is." Keika said with a grin as she looked back to see her girlfriend "I've always recovered more quickly."

Motoko simply frowned, though the blush let Keika know she was right.

"Anyway, what should we do now that we've eliminated our two main activities?" Motoko asked, trying to change the subject "Should we pay Hamada-san a visit and apologize for our rather dangerous match?"

That's when it hit Keika: the katana she'd planned to give Motoko when they had gotten back. The brunette shot up from the couch in an instant, then leaped over the couch to grab Motoko by the hand.

"Come with me-oof!" Keika said as she tried to drag Motoko up the stairs, but the younger swordswoman roughly yanked her back.

"First: I can walk, Keika-san. Second: where are we heading so _we_ can _walk_ there?" Motoko said with a mildly irritated expression.

"Uh… my room so I can give you something." Keika answered as calmly as possible.

"What is this 'something'?"

"An exceptionally late Christmas present that I'd forgotten about." Keika answered honestly.

"A…Christmas present?" Motoko reiterated, looking at Keika oddly.

"…just come upstairs so I can give it to you."

"Fine." Motoko responded, motioning for the older woman to lead the way, which was readily and excitedly accepted.

After arriving in the room, Motoko was 'forced' to seat herself on the floor of the room as Keika went to her closet and pulled grabbed the present. Motoko soon heard Keika unzipping something, then watched as Keika came out of the closet (AN: sorry, I had to say it, lol) with her present. Needless to say, she was not expecting a present quite like this.

(AN: Use this site, www(dot)/descriptionofthepartsofaka.htm , for reference to the parts in the next few sections, if you are unfamiliar with the parts of a katana)

Clearly, the gift was a katana, and clearly the katana looked beautiful in it's saya. The saya itself was red, as was the ito of the tsuka. On the contrasting side, the sageo and same were both a brilliant shade of white free of any dirt. From where she sat, the tsuba appeared to be made of a silver colored metal and was designed to look like a lotus flower, with the fuchi and menuki being designed to reinforce this observation. Though she could not see it, the kashira most likely had the same lotus flower design on it.

To say Motoko was awestruck would have been far beyond an understatement.

"Merry Christmas!" Keika said with a brilliant grin and blush combination "You like?"

Motoko failed to respond for several long moments, and Keika was wondering if she was still awake.

"Uh… Motoko-chan? You in there?" Keika asked as she waved a hand in Motoko's face, eliciting no response "Are you alright?"

"…fine…" Motoko said softly, still staring, now somewhat open mouthed, at the sword before her.

"…do you… want to take it?" Keika asked, positioning the blade so it was facing towards her with the handle on her left with both her hands on the saya. (5)

Motoko nodded, reaching out to take the katana, one hand on the saya and the other on the tsuka. As she held the weapon before her, she noticed that it was lightweight, which was either a sign of good construction or cheap materials. Given the balance though, it was more likely a sign of an exceptional weapon. Motoko almost autonomously began to remove the blade from it's housing. It shown brilliantly in the light, and by the look of things, the blade was _perfect_ in most every sense; unmarred, unafflicted, and not a single visible impurity.

Motoko was further at a loss for words as she resheathed the blade. She simply sat the blade down on the ground softly before returning to her sitting position, staring onward at Keika with an expression that was rather obvious. As Keika awaited Motoko's response regarding the blade, she began to feel awkward being stared at as she was. Finally, after swallowing hard a couple of times, Motoko did indeed begin to speak.

"…Keika-san… I…" Motoko tried to say, but kept finding herself that lost for words.

"That good?" Keika asked with a grin, glad that she, with Hamada's help, had found a blade so impressive that Motoko was struggling for words "I had a bit of help from an old friend who told me you'd like it, to be honest."

Motoko still didn't seem to be quite hearing Keika. Instead she was still staring at Keika in a bit of a trance. Now Keika was beginning to become a bit creeped out; Motoko's dumb expression was beyond odd for her.

"Um… Motoko-chan?" Keika said a bit nervously "Ano… are you-"

"Keika-san," Motoko finally said as she leaned forward a bit "I… arigato. This blade appears to be of excellent quality. It is… more than you should have gotten for me as a simple gift."

"Heh, with everything you've done for me, I don't think I got you enough." Keika said in all honestly, though she bowed respectively at the compliment she'd been given "Really, I don't think I'd ever be able to repay you for everything."

Motoko wasn't blushing by this point, instead she moved the katana to the side, which Keika found odd. Motoko then leaned forward, closing the distance between them and holding herself up by placing her hands on the ground. Keika seemed to get where Motoko was going with this, so she leaned forward and met Motoko in another of their soft kisses. Immediately their lips parted, and immediately the two began loosing their passions and love for one another. Motoko moved closer to her loved one, with her arms being freed to move to Keika's sides as the older woman's arms moved to their position around Motoko's neck. Their kissing intensified as Motoko's hands began to trail upward on Keika's abdomen, which sent subtle, pleasurable sensations through the older woman.

Eventually, one of Motoko's hands came to grip her left breast, somewhat surprising the other woman and forcing a low moan that allowed Motoko to further deepen their kiss. As Motoko's left hand began to massage the soft flesh beneath it, her other hand began to trail around to the small of Keika's back, with one of Keika's hands moving down Motoko's own back. With her right hand now at Keika's lower back, she began to move the older woman to the side, with Keika adjusting so that Motoko could manage to set the older woman on her back against the floor. With her right hand remaining in place, her left one was removed from Keika's breast as she slowly moved to straddle the older woman.

That hand then began to make it's way down, moving to the bottom of Keika's shirt as the two continued their passionately intense kissing. However, Keika broke the heated kiss the moment Motoko's hand began to lift her shirt.

"Motoko-chan… are you… are you sure?" Keika hurriedly asked "You've… I've… we've never-"

"Hai, as sure as I've ever been." Motoko cooed softly as she moved to the side of Keika's ear, biting the lobe for emphasis and drawing a gasp-like moan from the older woman "Please, Kei-chan… I _love _ you… I _want_ you…"

"I love you too…" Keika whispered back before the two both locked lips once more.

With those needing, loving words, any last hint of inhibitions or doubt died in them. What moved to replace it was something truly, truly beautiful (AN: which you won't get to read, because it's a T-rated fic. Sorry to disappoint).

* * *

_End Chapter 10_

* * *

_Author's Note: Footnotes…_

_(1) It's a joke of mine: I don't say women are X years old, I say they are X years young (When it's spoken, at least)._

_(2) If you want an idea of what I'm talking about, read up on Mahou Sensei Negima and look at how Takamichi attacks with his 'special' ability, then divide the size and strength in half and make it so that it also does more than blunt damage._

_(3) In one of the volumes, when Haruka got extremely angry, her eye turned into a cat's eye. When Tsuruko, and later Motoko, were in 'combat mode', their eyes would turn black with a white iris and pupil to give them a demonic look. Given that Keika's an Urashima, I decided the cat's eye look was more fitting for her 'combat mode'_

_(4) Remember how Motoko won their first fight back in chapter 3? Hint: it might make this one seem familiar._

_(5) That is the proper way to hand a katana to someone, though it is more typical for it to be down with you sitting/kneeling and the other person standing. Why is it that way? To show trust and respect, as it is very difficult for _you_ to draw the blade in that position, but it is _very_ easy for them to draw the blade in their position._

_Well, there ya go! Now the only step that's left in their relationship is to get married or whatnot… well, let's just see what happens shall we? I'm personally worried that last scene wasn't quite T-rated, though I don't think anyone will complain (given that they've read this far and know what they're getting into). Oh, and before anyone asks: next chapter will begin the 'interesting' event of book nine, so there should be a bit of 'fun' to be had there._

_Oh, and before anyone asks… NO, KEIKA IS NOT BEING TURNED INTO A MARY SUE-ISH CHARACTER WHO'S UNBEATABLE! SHE DIDN'T REALLY BEAT MOTOKO IN A FIGHT; THEY TIED! THAT'S ALSO ONLY BECAUSE MOTOKO WASN'T EXPECTING HER 'NEW' ABILITIES; SHE WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD!_

_Thank you, and have a wonderful time till my next posting._


	11. Sister, Sister

_Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, nor am I making money from this._

_**WARNING: w00t! Yuri! … be warned!**_

_Authors Note: Well… I finally got around to this fic again… real life is such a bitch sometimes; it gets in the way of my hobbies. Anyway, here's the, long overdue, chapter 11. I honestly, most sincerely apologize for not updating sooner. Don't worry though: this fic WILL see completion._

_Also, for those who made their voices heard by reviewing: thank you. And, after review of previous chapters, I'm going to go ahead and let you all know that Keika will change a bit in the chapters to come, in both personality and abilities. Do not fret on that. ^_^_

_**

* * *

Love Hina: All-Girls Dorm Edition**_

_Chapter 11: Sister, Sister_

* * *

"Did you see Keika at all today Mutsumi-chan?" Naru asked as the two girls walked down the street towards Hinata-sou.

Unlike 'normal', Mutsumi was holding onto her arm rather affectionately.

"Ara, ara, she wasn't in any of the classes." Mutsumi replied in her same ditsy tone "She probably hasn't left the hospital."

"No, she was released last night, and Motoko was let go this morning." Naru said as she shot a glare at some man who was looking at her and Mutsumi oddly "Leave it to that idiot to skip school because her 'Motoko-chan' had a sore spot."

"Ara, you're too hard on them Na-chan." Mutsumi said as she snuggled against Naru's arm, forcing said girl to blush "You know I'd do the same for you."

Naru sighed after that; there was no response to that statement. On the horizon she spotted the figures of two younger girls, one a blunette and the other a blonde gaijin. Though it caused the pleasant Mutsumi to frown, she let go of Naru's arm and walked next to her as the girl's came into view, eventually meeting them at the foot of Hinata-sou's steps.

"Heyas Naru-chan and Mutsumi-chan!" Su shouted as she stopped within inches of the latter of the two.

"Hello Naru-san, Mutsumi-san." Shinobu said with a concerned look "Have you seen Motoko-san? She didn't meet up with us."

"No, well, not exactly. She and Keika are probably up in the dorm; Keika wasn't at Toudai today either." Naru said as she folded her arms "Sheesh… Motoko I can understand, but Keika's just skipping school."

"Ara, she's just in love." Mutsumi said happily, which caused Naru and Shinobu to both blush "They do make a cute pair of lovebirds too."

"W-Whatever." Naru stated as she began to make her way up the steps "Let's just go see if they're even here. For all we know, they could have gone off to another one of those tournaments and gotten themselves put back in the hospital."

Upon getting up to the dorm, Su and Sara, who was coming up from Haruka's teahouse where she was being 'babysat', immediately took off for Su's room to work on some more of her secret devices to 'play' with Keika or, possibly, Motoko. Shinobu headed to the kitchen to get the dinner ready for the evening, since that night's dinner required a bit more preparation, and the other two young women were busy looking around for Kitsune, who could normally be found on the couch. They too found it odd that the fox-girl couldn't be found.

"Mutsumi-chan, did Kitsune say she was going anywhere today?" Naru asked as she eyed the suspiciously empty couch.

"Ara, nope. Oh, do you think she's gotten herself a secret lover?" Mutsumi asked joyfully as she clapped her hands together "That'd explain why she's gone."

"Lover? Yea-no." Naru answered curtly as she plopped down on the couch "She's probably out drinking with some of her friends; she'll do that every once in a while."

As Mutsumi and Naru were getting settled and were getting ready to go find the two females who had recently left the hospital, there came a knock at the door, which Mutsumi, who was closer, graciously answered.

"Ara, Motoko-chan?" Mutsumi asked as she tilted her head to the side "…you're not Motoko-chan."

The woman in question, who happened to be carrying a highly inebriated Kitsune over her shoulder, appeared to be a Motoko clone at first glance. Her hakama and gi were the same color and style, and her hair color and style were even highly similar. However, there was the presence of makeup and lipstick on the woman's face, as well as the face of said woman being clearly more mature than Motoko was. That, and there was a crane (though it highly resembled a phoenix in Mutsumi's opinion) on the woman's shoulder that Motoko didn't own, and it was highly unlikely a random crane would land on your shoulder.

"Hello miss, is this here one of your tenants?" the woman asked with a pleasant, knowing smile "I found her just outside a bar three blocks from here, and she instructed me to take her here."

"Hai, that's Kitsune, and yes she does live here." Mutsumi said happily as she stepped to one side and made a welcoming gesture "Please come in."

"Arigato, and I am Aoyama Tsuruko, by the way." the woman, obviously Tsuruko, said happily as she came in, removed her zori, and made her way to the empty couch near Naru.

"I guess I was right about Kitsune…" Naru muttered as she stood to greet Tsuruko "You're Motoko's older sister, right?"

"Hai, I am indeed." Tsuruko said with a grin as she sat Kitsune on the couch, allowing the drunken, sleeping girl to rest comfortably "Is imouto around?"

"I'm actually not sure, and I'm Narusegawa Naru, by the way." Naru said as she pointed to where Mutsumi was "The woman who let you in is-"

"Otohime Mutsumi." Mutsumi said with a bow "It's nice to meet you Tsuruko-chan."

"Likewise." Tsuruko replied as she returned the polite bow before turning back to Naru "So you do not know if imouto is here or not?"

"We just got in not too long ago; I haven't even been upstairs yet." Naru explained "I can go check and send them down if you wish."

"Actually, why don't you give me a tour of the place." Tsuruko suggested "I've only been here once, but I don't quite remember what all's here."

"Alright, that sounds good. We can work our way up to the floor with Motoko's room if you want."

"That would be lovely."

* * *

"Hm… so is imouto not here?" Tsuruko asked, her face a bit of a frown "She wouldn't be at that hospital still, would she?"

"No, she was released this morning." Naru stated as she was trying to figure out where the two were.

"Where do they normally train?"

"Either the roof or the woods around here, and we've already checked the roof." Naru explained, frowning a bit as well "I hope they aren't training after just getting out of the hospital."

"Oh, it wouldn't surprise me if imouto were to be training right now; she's quite determined." Tsuruko said with a grin "I guess I'll just wait for her and her deshi to get home."

By now, the duo had arrived back in the main room, arriving to find a still unconscious Kitsune occupying the couch. Naru let out a sigh before turning back to Tsuruko.

"I need to get this girl here up to bed." Naru stated, gesturing to the drunken fox "I-"

"I don't mind, Narusegawa-san." Tsuruko cut in "You need not feel obligated to serve as a host for me."

"Well, alright-"

"Though imouto did mention that there was an onsen here, if you would mind pointing the way."

"It's down the hall, past the kitchen." Naru explained, pointing to the appropriate hallway "You can't miss it."

With a nod of her head, Tsuruko was off, leaving Naru to figure out how to carry her inebriated friend up the stairs.

* * *

Keika found herself completely and utterly at ease. Relaxed was an understatement; she had _never_ felt so good, lying there in the hotsprings with only a subtle aching in her nether regions from…

She blushed, and smiled, as she remembered what had transpired only a couple hours prior. She knew Motoko was passionate and aggressive, but she had _not_ been expecting _that_. The marks on her neck, among other places, were a testament to that. She did make a note to advise Motoko to be a bit less… rough next time; she didn't want to walk around with hickeys and bite marks _all_ the time, after all. (1)

Along that train of thought, Keika wondered if Motoko had finished washing yet. (2) She opened her eyes, but realized that her vision was blurry without her glasses. So she listened, and heard only running water in the springs. Outside the springs, however, she heard a rather familiar soft step inside the changing room.

Keika frowned a bit; was Motoko leaving already? Without joining her in the springs? She got up as quietly as possible, grabbing her glasses yet forgoing her towel, and began her trek to the changing room. Peeking in, she was graced by the sight of the dark haired samurai, clad only in her chest bindings and undergarments, sword set on the bench beside her as she appeared to be messing with her chest bindings.

"You're leaving already, Motoko-chan?" Keika seemed to whine "I thought you were gonna… huh?"

She had taken another look at the blade on the bench near 'Motoko', and noticed a small problem: the sword was more like 'Shishui' (3), yet she had brought her, yet unnamed, sword with her. (4) Keika regarded the woman more carefully, and noticed a few small differences. When the woman turned around though, Keika visibly paled.

"…you're not Motoko…" Keika whispered to herself, unsure of how to react to this situation.

"I would hope not." the woman said with a pleasant grin as she continued to take off her chest bindings, wholly unabashed "So, imouto is in the bath then?"

'_Imouto… uh oh…'_ Keika thought, her paled face now practically glowing with a blush.

Suddenly, Keika found herself _exponentially_ more shy and embarrassed about standing, naked, in front of Motoko's older sister.

"You are Urashima Keika, are you not?" Tsuruko asked as she finished removing her chest bindings, an act which Keika made certain to avert her eyes from.

"H-Hai! Your Motoko-chan's anue, right?" Keika responded, a bit hastily, after which she berated herself for the stupid, obvious question.

"That I am. It's nice to meet, Urashima-san." Tsuruko continued as she finished slipping off her clothing, reaching for a towel "You are Motoko's deshi, correct?"

Deciding it was better to remain silent, lest she say something stupid once more, Keika simply nodded.

"Then the paper was accurate; you tied with Motoko in the tournament?"

This time, Keika let out a nervous laugh.

"I wouldn't say 'tied'; I'm pretty sure I fell unconscious first. We only tied in the official ruling."

"Be that as it may, I am impressed that you did so well against the one who was your teacher." Tsuruko explained, wrapping the towel around her and picking up her blade "Shall we?"

With a nod, and a brief gesture, Keika led Tsuruko into the bath, which is where Motoko was now waiting for only one of them. With but one glance of her sister, Motoko looked like a deer in headlights, and was frozen stiff.

'_This isn't going to end well…'_

"Hello, imouto." was all Tsuruko said as she gracefully slid into the water, which was followed by Keika's not-so-graceful entry into the water nearer to Motoko (but not _too_ close to her).

It was silent for a while, mainly because Motoko's vocal cords refused to work. Keika, though not quite as fearful as Motoko at the moment, certainly felt uncomfortable being in the bath with her girlfriend and said girlfriend's (very attractive, straight, and married) older sister who, to make matters worse, did not know about her relationship with Motoko. Silently she cursed the fates; apparently they were sadists and she was their current bit-

"Are you alright, Motoko-chan?" Tsuruko finally asked, a small note of concern on her face "You look pale."

"I'm… fine." Motoko managed to squeak out, something completely unbecoming of such a warrior "It's… nice to see you… anue."

"Likewise."

"Why are you here?" Motoko asked, tact apparently lost in her speech.

Tsuruko appeared unfazed by the bluntness of the question, and simply chuckled instead.

"I came to speak with you and your deshi. I wish to understand the nature of your relationship."

The other two women blushed at those words, though if Tsuruko noticed, she didn't say anything.

"After all, it is not very common for students of Shinmei-ryu to take on students, especially outside of the school." Tsuruko explained, grinning all the while.

"W-Well, I took Kei… Urashima-san on over a year ago, working on two." Motoko began, finding some comfort in the 'strictly business' attitude of the conversation "I… she became my student after I beat her in a duel."

"You fought her in a duel?" Tsuruko asked, a brow raised in interest.

"Hai. She had had previous martial arts training, before Shinmei-ryu."

"Why was there a duel?"

Motoko could come up with no response, save for the truth. But the truth had some rather… odd insinuations and connections to her. Luckily, Keika seemed on the ball there.

"I was trying to run away from my problems." Keika explained, a bit nervously, obviously "Motoko-sensei challenged me to a duel, and if she won… well, I'd be her student."

Tsuruko nodded, apparently thinking over what she heard for a moment.

"That is quite an honorable gesture, Motoko." Tsuruko finally said, grinning brilliantly "Hearing that, and seeing how much you've improved since your arrival here, I believe that it's finally time for you to take over the school."

It was silent, eerily so, until finally there was an explosion of sound.

"But anue, I can't-!"

"She can't leave-!"

One glare from Tsuruko was enough to silence them, and send fearful chills down their spines. The latter could have also come from the fact that both women had just stood up out of the warm water into the significantly cooler air. Who knew, really?

"Our agreement, _imouto_, was for you to stay here, attend school, and train until such time as you are fit to take your rightful place as heir to the Shinmei-ryu school." Tsuruko stated, matter of factly, without so much as a change in her expression or voice "You've proven you can teach, and it is clear you've improved greatly in blade work, and so I see no reason why you would be unfit to head the school."

"But… anue, I can not leave here…" Motoko pleaded, wanting quite desperately at the moment to be anywhere else, hearing _anything_ else than her sister's voice.

"Why, pray tell, can you not? Is there something that I've missed?" Tsuruko asked, once more her brow raised in interest.

"…"

"That was a question, Motoko, one that I expect to have answered."

Keika felt her jaw tighten a bit, trying to hold back her tongue and the words she'd have let fly off it. Motoko instead gulped, slowly settling herself back down in the water after a moment.

"…Anue… I can not go because… I am… involved… with someone." Motoko final explained, knowing that the truth was probably her best bet (she didn't want to remember the last time she'd been caught lying to her older sister).

Besides, it was really the only reason she'd _not_ be taken back.

Hearing those words, Keika decided that she too had best take a seat as well. Tsuruko, in one of the first displays of significant emotion, appeared clearly overjoyed. Both younger women hoped it would remain that way.

"That's wonderful news!" Tsuruko declared, the joy appearing to pour off her words "I'm glad to see that both of you have boyfriends… or lover in Keika's case."

It was a moment of confusion before both women turned scarlet, with Keika self consciously hiding the marks on her neck. Hiding the scars on her hand, even now without gloves, had become instinctual, but hiding those… not so much.

"A-Anue!" Motoko began in protest, but it went unheard.

"When will I have the chance to meet him, Motoko?" Tsuruko asked hurriedly.

"Anue-"

"Why haven't you told me about this man, anyway? I wouldn't have brought this up if I'd known."

"Anu-"

"Oh! Did you meet him recently? At the budokai? Is he-"

"ANUE!"

Finally, Tsuruko was silenced, sending a gravely irate look at her younger sibling, who was, while not angry, clearly upset.

"Please, I need to explain something." Motoko began, her nerves beginning to flare up "Well… _we_ need to explain something…"

'_Ohshitohshitohshitohshitohshit!'_ Keika's brain was firing off at rapid speed, quickly taking note of various factors that could determine their current survival if the proverbial shit hit the fan.

Tsuruko regarded both women for a moment, seeing how both of them were nervous about something.

"…yes, imouto?"

After one, long, deep breath, Motoko began to say her piece.

"I'm… Keika and I… we're…" Motoko began, appearing to struggle for the right word "We aren't… dating men."

"…so you lied to me?" Tsuruko began, her face hardening significantly.

"No! Everything she's said has been the truth!" Keika responded on their defense, raising her hands up in a similar, defensive manner.

In a few moments, several things occurred. Firstly, Tsuruko was temporarily confused, glancing between Motoko and Keika, as she played the words back through her mind. Secondly, Tsuruko's eyes snapped open, this time glancing more closely at both, now blushing, women. Finally, her face became an emotionless mask, and it seemed that she was staring off into the distance, yet not all the same. After several moments of eerie silence, Keika was fearing the worst.

"…anue?" Motoko whispered, now a bit worried "Anue?"

* * *

Tsuruko, at the moment, was a bit overwhelmed. In the last twenty four hours, she had discovered that her younger sister had taken on a student, brought that student up to an advanced level, had brought _herself_ up to beyond that level, was a lesbian… in a relationship… with another woman… who happened to be older than her… and her landlord… _and_ her student in Shinmei-ryu… _**and**_ was evidently intimate-

Tsuruko shook her head; she didn't want to think about what her younger sister and her… girlfriend… did alone. The fact that her sister was interested in women didn't bother her (she had suspected as much already, given her apparent hatred of men). The fact that Keika, the Hinata-sou landlord and Motoko's apprentice, was her sister's girlfriend didn't even bother her. The fact that they were... intimate… bothered her a bit (it was her sister, after all, her _'baby'_ sister).

What _did_ bother her happened to stem from the fact that she was the acting head of Shinmei-ryu. The rules for succession stated that the only reasons one would be exempt from leading the dojo were if one were exiled, deemed unfit as a leader, or were to marry (only for female leaders). Evidently, Motoko was a fit leader, and Tsuruko doubted that she'd ever do anything to get her exiled. However, it was the last reason, the marriage reason, that was the issue. (5)

"… you all right, anue?"

"Hai." Tsuruko replied, her voice oddly calm.

"Are you…" Motoko began, but wasn't quite able to bring all her thoughts to light.

'_Disappointed? Angry?'_

Tsuruko, after a deep breath, allowed herself a small smile.

"No, I'm not upset, imouto." Tsuruko said, then gave a slightly more sheepish grin "Though I believe I better understand how you felt when you walked in on my husband and myself that one time."

Motoko looked away, blushing and smiling simultaneously. It wasn't the fondest memory she had, but she was glad her sister wasn't upset. Keika shared in the happiness, since she didn't want Motoko to not have her family's support in their relationship.

"I'm a bit overwhelmed, I'll admit; I've learned a lot about you in the last day, imouto." Tsuruko explained "Also… I'm a bit concerned."

Both younger women tensed at those words.

"Why?"

"Well, imouto, at the moment I am only the _acting_ head of Shinmei-ryu." Tsuruko stated "Our agreement was for you to take over when you were deemed capable, unless you were married or soon-to-be married."

Motoko, though now not liking where this was going, nodded her head in agreement as her girlfriend simply sat back, waiting to see how things went down.

"Before I continue, however, I must know just how serious this relationship is." Tsuruko continued, focusing her gaze on Keika, who was still doing her best to hide the marks on her neck "How long have you and my sister been together?"

"Ano… over a year…" Keika admitted with a nervous chuckle.

Tsuruko simply nodded, turning to face Motoko, who seemed to be awaiting the onslaught of hell itself.

"…alright then." Tsuruko said simply "The problem is-"

"That's it?!" Motoko exclaimed, sitting forward a bit.

"Hai. I don't need to ask any more questions; I can tell it's serious, but I did want to know how long you two had been together." Tsuruko said, grinning slightly. (6)

Motoko's eye twitched slightly, and Keika had to hold back a laugh at her girlfriend's expense.

"Anyway, the problem is that the _only_ way I would _not_ have to take you back today is if you were married, engaged, or in a serious relationship-"

"Then what's the problem?" Keika interrupted, failing to see the point.

"-that would culminate in marriage." Tsuruko finished, shooting a slight glance to Keika.

The young couple let the words sink in, and both felt their hearts drop out of their chests.

"So… because we can't get married…" Keika asked softly as Motoko slowly hung her head. (7)

Tsuruko nodded, her face once more an emotionless mask.

"The elders are pushing for me to bring you back." Tsuruko said to Motoko, which didn't appear to help at all "They won't let me make another deal with you either."

Motoko couldn't manage a response, instead hanging her head a bit lower. Beneath the water, Keika felt a hand grab hers rather tightly. Motoko, apparently, was in need of some of _her_ strength. Or maybe Motoko could sense it was the other way around…

"I won't have to take you back until tomorrow afternoon." Tsuruko continued, beginning to stand as she saw that it was best if she left them alone "It might not be that long, but it's the best I can do."

Slowly, Tsuruko stepped out of the bath, wrapping her towel around herself as she headed for the changing room, leaving the other two women to their newfound sorrow. That's not to say that she too didn't share in the sorrow…

* * *

Tsuruko's blade cut through the air with but a slight whistle, her body moving and flowing like a dancer. Well, a rather aggressive dancer; her movements currently held a rather potent ferocity to them, making the blade dance much more violent in it's appearance. Graceful though it was, few would be inclined to view her current motions as simply 'practice'.

Tsuruko's blade slid into it's sheathe with a soft click as she finished her last kata. Letting out a deep breath, she turned to face the doorway leading back into Hinata-sou, though few would be able to see it in this darkness.

"How is she?" Tsuruko asked the shadowed figure at the door.

"…she finally cried herself to sleep." Keika muttered sadly "I've _never_ seen her cry…"

Tsuruko held her gaze on the woman for but a second longer before preparing for her next set of katas.

"I would suggest you make the most of your time with her," Tsuruko suggested as her hand formed around her tsuka "or make arrangements to come with us."

"…I was tempted to… but Motoko-chan wouldn't let me." Keika explained, her voice cracking slightly "As much as she loves me, she didn't want me abandoning the other girls here."

"She's always been an honorable one." Tsuruko whispered.

'_She's always been better than me…'_

"Is there… really no other option?"

"…no. Not unless she wishes to be exiled."

It was silent for a time, save for the soft whistle as Tsuruko started up her katas once more. This persisted for several minutes, but eventually there was the soft clink as the blade and sheathe met once more.

"…if there's nothing we can do to keep you from taking her, then is there anything we can do to make her stay?" Keika asked, a small bit of hope in her voice.

Tsuruko's brow furrowed. What was this woman talking about? Then it dawned on her: Tsuruko had only been thinking of what it would take for Motoko to not have to be brought back, not what could be done to keep her _here_.

"Urashima-san?"

"Hai?"

"I think I have an idea..."

* * *

"Motoko-chan!"

Motoko was on her feet in an instant, her hand gripping her unnamed blade with quite the ferocity. It was several seconds before Motoko was able to discern the voice as being Keika's, who was currently standing, smiling, at the door. Unfortunately, Motoko failed to see the joy this particular morning.

"Keika-chan…" Motoko whispered, releasing her blade "How can you be-"

"She's gone!"

Motoko's eyes shot open, now fully awake.

"Excuse me?!"

"She left! You're in the clear!" Keika continued her arms gesturing blatantly for emphasis "You get to stay!"

Motoko was now gaping.

"…but…how…?"

"Because, for the benefit of the clan, you are going to be staying here, studying for the Toudai Entrance Exams with three Toudai students, and getting into their law school!" Keika explained, rather quickly "At least, that's what Tsuruko said she was telling the elders."

Motoko was silent, completely unmoving and, apparently, shocked. Feeling a bit uncomfortable under her lover's blank stare, Keika began to back towards the door.

"Um… she was the one who came up with the idea… she just asked me if you had shown any interest in schooling, so I told her you appeared interested in Tokyo U's law scho-mmph!"

The last part was cut short as Motoko's lips locked onto Keika's own. Keika hadn't even seen Motoko move towards her, and was barely aware of the fact that Motoko had managed to shut the door behind her moments before dragging her over to the futon.

Keika figured out _very_ quickly that Motoko was completely and utterly _elated_ with the plan Tsuruko and Keika had devised.

* * *

_End Chapter 11_

_

* * *

Author's Note: Footnotes…_

_(0) For those who don't know: imouto is 'little sister', and anue is 'older sister'._

_(1) I had always imagined Motoko being the 'seme', and Keika subsequently the 'uke'/'neko'. I also liked the idea of Keika being a bit turned on by the biting, etc., though it was primarily motivated by a friend of mine's suggestion on this subject._

_(2) In Japan, you traditionally wash separately from the onsen, then you get in the spring/bath/whatever. This appears to apply at Hinata-sou as well, canonically._

_(3) This is the name of Motoko's first blade, which is 'calm water', I think._

_(4) It was actually common for samurai to name their blades, because it was the 'soul of the samurai' and was often treated as a living being._

_(5) It might seem like this is a 'very quick acceptance' situation, but if you notice in the books, Tsuruko comes across as being very bright, and a good tactician. Ergo, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for her to come to this conclusion in the end._

_(6) Let's face it: Motoko and Keitaro in the book are _horrible_ liars. That's why I believe Tsuruko acted the way she did (aka. manipulative and 'playing dumb' to get Motoko to change, etc.). Plus, I figured she could 'read' them well enough to tell if they were lying, serious, etc._

_(7) That's a fact: Japan does not allow gay marriage._

_Well, I hope you all liked this chapter. Admittedly, I had to work on this over a much longer period of time, but that could be good or bad for the work overall. Hopefully the next chapter won't take so damn long._

_Anyway, the plan for this fic was to be 14-15 chapters long, and by the looks of it it'll be leaning more towards 14 chapters. As such, I shall be deviating from canon a bit (yeah, I've already done that, but just a bit more forewarning for ya). I'm currently working on a way to still include the 6-month trip to America and Kanako's visit (I liked that plotline, to be honest), but regardless the next chapter will not take me THAT long to do._

_Until next time…which should be soon...

* * *

  
_


	12. Sister Too!

_Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, nor am I making money from this._

_**WARNING:… if you've read this far, do you need a warning?**_

_Authors Note: Well, initial reviews for the last chapter were good, so I went ahead and started on this. I'll say this: I found a way to get Kanako involved… but not the six-month trip to America. I had it all written out, but when reading it through… it just didn't fit. So, I had a bit of a change in plans._

_Oh, and in response to one particular reviewer: I almost did have Tsuruko take Motoko away, but I decided it didn't quite meet the 'feel' of the story. That, and I believe that Tsuruko shows up with an ulterior motive. For example: the first time we find out that she simply wants Motoko to make a decision about where she's going with her life (which is why she pushes Motoko into those situations), and the second time it's to reinforce that and get her to accept her love for Keitaro. At least, that's how I see it, and taking Motoko away in _this_ story really wouldn't have the same effect (in my opinion), so I took a different route that, while not fitting to the original storyline, was more fitting to mine._

_Anyway, Merry Christmas (or Happy Holidays if you'd prefer), here's your present from me!_

_**

* * *

Love Hina: All-Girls Dorm Edition**_

_Chapter 12: Sister Too!_

* * *

"Wha'd'ya know… tha 'love birds' ain't down 'ere yet." Kitsune muttered with a grin, taking a seat at the not-quite-filled breakfast table.

She herself was fifteen minutes late to breakfast, as per usual, but neither Keika nor Motoko (both of which tend to be punctual) was down there when she got there.

"The 'warrior girls' are outside… again." Sara explained, rolling her eyes for effect "I swear, all they ever do is spar, study, and sleep whenever they're not in classes."

"Well, that's not _all_ they do…" Kitsune hinted, grinning coyly.

The result was a furiously blushing Shinobu, as well as a table covered in orange juice spray from the, previously drinking, Naru.

"Kitsune!"

* * *

Keika ducked under a whistling blade, then rolled under another one and threw out a quick leg sweep, which missed by the most minimal of margins as Motoko took to the air. As Motoko's blades fell upon her from two sides, Keika focused her ki and pushed herself back away and safely out of the reach of the blades. As she flipped to her feet, she was greeted by the sight of cold steel shaped to an edge, which slashed just under her chin and was followed by yet another blade of steel in a stab.

The blade pierced where Keika's throat would have been, and met only air. Motoko spun around with her other blade, caught only barely by Keika's ki-laden fist, moments before Keika's other hand, an open palm, flew towards her exposed midsection. Motoko parried at the last moment, and launched her body forward in a rather unorthodox fashion… and into a kiss.

Keika, naturally, faltered, which is when Motoko's leg swept behind hers and slid it out from under her. She landed on the ground rather hard, and rather gracelessly, with the full weight of Motoko atop her, straddling her with the butt of one hilt pressed against the older woman's trachea.

"I win…" Motoko said, smiling all the while "…again."

"That wasn't fair though!" Keika fake-whined, not making much of an attempt to move from under Motoko "You always get me with that… _and_ you're using two blades now…"

That was true; Motoko had spent the last six months learning how to wield both her blades, both Shishui and the newly christened Koikokoro that Keika had given her. (1) That, and Motoko had decided to 'lighten up' a bit, now wearing more modern clothing instead of her traditional gi and hakama. Now it was not uncommon to see Motoko in jeans or shorts and a T-shirt or tank top. On rare occasions, mostly at Keika's subtle persistence, the Shinmei-ryu samurai could be seen donning a skirt, or even an actual dress. This was, of course, few and far between, unlike the two blades she now wore everywhere she went, thanks to the special license she had.

As for Keika, little had changed for her, though now she was working on becoming a sophomore (AN: or the Japanese equivalent… I'm not familiar with that particular aspect of the culture) at Toudai. That, and apparently she too was beginning to dress a bit differently, now wearing shirts and pants with shorter sleeves/legs. You know, something to show off a bit more of her toned, shapely figure, since the blouses were already practically skintight on her torso.

As for the rest of the group, Sara had, finally, started going to school, though she started at her grade equivalent for her age with the help of Haruka pulling a few strings behind the scenes. Su and Shinobu were both in two of the top highschools in the area, and Mutsumi and Naru were both joining Keika in becoming second-year college students. As for Kitsune… well, she was growing her hair out a bit… but that's about all she did constructively over the last six months.

Motoko eventually, and with a smile, got to her feet, offering a hand to her lover that lay below her, after she put both her blades away, of course.

"Fighting fair is not a reality, Kei-chan." Motoko explained, taking on her 'sensei tone' once more "One should fight honorably at all times, but fairness implies that you and your opponent are equal and that neither has the ability to press or utilize an advantage or weakness."

"I know, I know… can't you take a joke?" Keika replied with a grin, clearly joking as well as she took the hand up.

Motoko merely sent her lover a look, though she had to struggle not to grin.

"Come on, we should get back for breakfast." Motoko stated as she began to make her way towards the dorm once more.

"Oh, we're done already? That was fast…"

"Hai, it was."

"Oh! I just remembered!" Keika exclaimed as she picked up her pace to put herself in front of Motoko "I won't be coming home with you after class tomorrow."

Motoko stopped on a dime.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, Naru-san and Mutsumi-san were going to help me with something after school tomorrow, so I won't be able to accompany you home as usual." Keika explained with an ever present grin "It won't be much more than an hour or two, so-"

"I can wait for you then; I am in no hurry to get home." Motoko interrupted, raising a hand for emphasis.

"You can't!" Keika blurted without thinking, but quickly began to correct herself "You agreed to help Shinobu with homework after school, and if you wait until after I'm done, she'll have to wait until after she's done with dinner to finish it."

Though this was a poor reason, albeit a legitimate one, Motoko decided not to push the issue. Besides, it's not as if Motoko had to be around Keika _all_ the time; she wasn't clingy or anything. Protective and worried about what the 'blonde haired bitch' would try if Keika were alone, but never clingy.

"You have a point there, Kei-chan." Motoko relented with a nod "Thanks for letting me know in advance, so I was not waiting for you in vain."

As expected, Keika leaned in and planted a soft, quick kiss on Motoko's waiting lips, then smiled rather joyfully as she pulled away.

"Douitashimashite, Mo-chan." (2)

* * *

"Hey 'toko!" Kitsune slurred from the couch, waving around a small, and empty, bottle of sake "Where'sh Keika-chen?"

"With Otohime-san and Narusegawa-san." Motoko replied to the resident drunkard as she slipped out of her shoes and into her slippers (3) "She should be home in an hour or two."

"Oh, m'kay… ba th' wahy: y'look kinda _hot_ 'n them shorts." Kitsune continued to slur out, grinning like the fox she was "Thehy'ed go great with-"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"Just once-"

"The last time was 'just once', and you put me in little more than cloth _scraps_ that slid into places and made walking an issue." Motoko growled as she shot the fox a glare "I should have known better than to ask you for advice on clothing."

"I's called lingerie, 'toko; i's s'posed t' be _sexy_, not _covering_." Kitsune defended with a grin "I betcha 'Kei-chan' would'a _luv'd_ it!"

Now blushing, Motoko decided to simply ignore the resident fox and head up and find Shinobu to help her with her homework.

At least, that was the plan before…

"Would'nt ya lahke seein' 'Kei-chan' in lingerie?"

Motoko, literally, tripped over the air, falling flat on her face. The pain and embarrassment was the least of her worries as she turned around to face Kitsune, wide eyed and red in the face.

"Ah, piqued yer interest, eh?" Kitsune stated as she sat up, her slurring all but gone "Figured that'a get your attention."

Motoko still had yet to find her voice, too preoccupied with the thoughts occupying her head, all of which were in the form of images.

"Hm…" Kitsune appeared contemplative for a moment "Maybe lingerie's not yer 'thing'… how 'bout a neko costume? Keika'd be one helluva sexay neko-chan!"

If one looked carefully, then they'd wonder how Motoko's eyes managed to get _that_ big... and was that steam coming from her ears?

"…or maybe clothin' ain't yer thing… I've got a pair a handcuffs or two, and some rope if that's something you'd enjoy, since yer the dominant one an' all… and she'd still be the 'neko-chan'!"

By now, Motoko was visibly shaking as her mind sat on the verge of psychological collapse. The images had instead switched to hi-def video, accompanied by full surround sound audio.

"Oh! Ah know! What 'bout that maid costume ya liked?! You can work out a whole roleplay where ya seduce her and-" Kitsune continued, but stopped when she heard the sound of something heavy hitting the floor.

Opening her eyes all the way, Kitsune was greeted by the sight of a passed out Motoko, who appeared to have both a small trickle of blood coming from one nostril, as well as a look of utter elation on her now pale face. Of course, the sight of this was enough to send the resident fox into a hysterical fit of laughter, especially when Motoko would occasionally twitch.

It had a different sort of effect on the next two arrivals, unfortunately.

"Aaaahhh!! They already gots Motoko-chan!" Su shouted as she leapt down the stairs, tears beginning to form at her eyes.

"Su?" Kitsune queried, shocked back to reality by the sight of a practically crying Kaolla "Wha's wrong?"

"The intruder! They gots Motoko, and I was too late!" Su bellowed as she tried to shake Motoko "If they gots-"

"Whoa whoa whoa, repeat that!" Kitsune insisted, standing up in a moment in a strangely sober state.

"The intruder-"

"Lahke from your security system?"

"Yes!"

"…oh shit… wake up Motoko _now_!"

Meanwhile, a figure in the shadows disappeared further into the darkness, an odd sense of fear and loathing emanating from said figure.

* * *

Motoko's eyes snapped open as her senses detected the most subtle of disturbances in the air. She'd been sleeping rather lightly, even though she slept lighter than most, given the nature of what had occurred earlier. After she was awakened (from a wonderfully, _wonderfully_ pleasant dream no less) by Keika when she got home, she was informed that they had had an intruder that afternoon, yet they had found nobody in the dorm, nor in the surrounding woods. Likewise, Su hadn't detected anyone _leaving_ Hinata-sou through the security system, which meant they _should_ still be in the area.

She could hear footsteps from down the hall. Motoko focused on the subtle, almost imperceptible sounds, and noticed that they were familiar… but not entirely. She couldn't quite place them, but she could tell they were heading for Keika's room. She sat up without a sound, hand gripping her Koikokoro, with the other hand bracing the sheath for a clean, effective draw. In wait she sat, and the footsteps continued to head towards Keika's door, stopping right in front of it. The door began to open slowly, the low light creeping through the door into Keika's room…

…and the light of the entire room flooded on, and in the brief moment that the 'intruder' was blinded by the sudden change in light intensity, Motoko struck. The blade slid out effortlessly, and the whistling of the tip as it cut through the air was music to Motoko's practiced ears as it honed in on it's target.

However, with a blood-chilling sense of utter terror, her blade fell short as she twisted it and pulled it back so that it passed in front of the figure. Her whole arm was wrenched rather painfully at the drastic change in direction with no change in force, but that was the least of her concerns as she gazed into all-too-familiar bespectacled eyes.

"K-Keika?!" Motoko stumbled out, trying to figure out what was going on.

'_But… those steps… those weren't her steps! I… I almost-'_

"C-Calm down, Motoko!" Keika pleaded, chuckling nervously as she backed up slightly "It's just me; no intruder."

Motoko, still shaken by her gross miscalculation, nervously guided her blade back to it's sheath before falling to the ground on her hands and knees.

"Gomenasai!" Motoko whispered, unable to look up at her lover "I promise I'll _never_ attack you like that again!"

"It's alright, really! I shouldn't have tried to sneak in like that, not with the intruder scare going on." Keika replied, ever the forgiving one "I didn't want to wake you… yet, anyway."

Motoko still couldn't bring herself to look up; she'd almost done the _unthinkable_. She could tell that Keika was bending down to her level. A soft hand gently gripped her chin, tilting it upwards slowly so that she was face to face with Keika's smiling face.

"Don't worry Motoko; you didn't do anything wrong." Keika cooed as she moved her hand up Motoko's face.

Though she initially smiled, Motoko's instincts and sharpened senses allowed her to notice a few things. First was the fact that Keika was _not_ wearing any gloves, something she never did. Second was the fact that Keika's hand was _too_ soft; practicing martial arts had toughened her hands up some. Third was the fact that Keika's palms were bare; there was no scar in sight.

Motoko's eyes narrowed and hardened in an instant, and her left hand went to her waist and gripped the hilt of Shishui, unsheathing the blade rapidly outwards, putting the butt of the hilt directly into Keika's abdomen. The older woman's eyes bulged as she lurched forward and began to gag and gasp, which was about the time that Motoko's other hand had grabbed her by the back of the head and thrown her to the ground on her side. With a quick shift in her position, Motoko ended up straddling the gasping, gagging 'Keika' with her fully drawn Shishui pressed against her throat.

"How _dare_ you impersonate my _girlfriend_!" Motoko growled as she pressed her blade harder into the fake Keika's throat "Start talking _now_, or I start slowly removing organs!"

The intruder, of course, couldn't speak due to having the wind knocked out of them and then being sat on by a decently built samurai wielding a blade. Motoko proceeded to grab the imposter by the jaw, gripping it and slamming their head into the floor. Unfortunately, this was the same hand she had rather badly wrenched not too long before, and she noticeably winced as she attempted the action. This gave the intruder an opening, which resulted in Motoko having a knee shot into her back, barely missing her left kidney. Then came the time when the imposter grabbed her blade in a 'safe' fashion, and pushed the blade away from her throat. Before Motoko could react with the pain in her back, she found herself being struck in the gut by a potent ki strike, effectively knocking her off of the imposter.

Motoko managed to catch herself though, getting to her feet in a low stance as she watched the imposter flip herself, rather acrobatically, to her feet, landing in a ready stance she was unfamiliar with. Likewise, even the other residents would be able to tell that this wasn't Keika; she never wore a scowl even remotely close to the one she saw at the moment.

"How _dare_ you…" the imposter hissed, her voice now completely different from Keika's.

Motoko didn't wait for 'pleasantries' to ensue; she focused her mind and let fly a wave of ki in one of her many 'wind' attacks. The imposter simply fell back, the 'blade' of ki flying right above her, and flipped around so that she landed on her hands with her feet pressed against the wall, which was now containing a tear from the ki wave. As the imposter pushed off, Motoko readied another attack and let it fly in a much wider wave of energy. However, Motoko was, unfortunately, stuck with only using her left hand, which was her offhand, since she had most likely done some damage to her main hand when she redirected that full-power strike so quickly. As such, the strike was mere moments too slow, and the imposter was within her guard by the time the wall behind her was torn apart.

The other wall was soon blown apart as well, as Motoko flew through Kitsune's room, the other wall, and into the next unused room. Kitsune was, of course, awake in a moment and was aware enough to see both the flying Motoko and the following 'Keika' pass through her room. As Motoko landed, rolling and getting to her feet, she was met with a continued onslaught from the imposter-turned-assailant, her hand drawn back with ki flaring on both hands. This was something Motoko was able to deal with, but she was limited by space while her attacker was not. As such, she did the most rational thing for her to do, and what the attacker was least expecting: she dropped her blade.

This freed up her hand to catch the strike as it was thrown at her, and then allowed her to counter the woman, who was at a disadvantage in the air while she had a firm base on the ground. Motoko managed to throw the attacker towards the balcony, through the door as Kitsune managed to look in to see what was going on. However, the resident fox saw little as Motoko flipped her blade back to her hand with her foot, dashing out to and eventually over the balcony a moment later. In midair, Motoko focused her ki, and the moment she was within reach, a bolt of lightning shot forth from the sky, focusing through her blade and into the assailant right below her. The ground tore and cracked with the force of the attack, and the area was lit up and further permeated with rolling thunder as the attack went on for several seconds, finally ending when Motoko leapt away from the, now apparent, crater.

As Motoko looked on, and further scanned the area, she noticed that the assailant was nowhere to be found, but remnants of her clothing littered the area. It was dark, yet the relative silence made it easier to hear footsteps and clothing… if the woman still had any left on her body after that attack. She stood still, her eyes closed, waiting for any signal… and then it came. She spun around on her left foot, allowing the ki enhanced punch to fly right by her, and attacking with her Shishui once more. It went just over the assailant's head as she ducked, but Motoko had been expecting this and had also readied a leg sweep, which hit it's mark. To add further injury to the insult, she grabbed the shredded remnants of the woman's collar, forcing the woman to fall towards the ground with far greater force, an echoing crack permeating the area as skull met stone at a rather high velocity.

Oddly enough, this did not knock the assailant out, though the kick she launched was not nearly as potent as her previous strikes had been, and Motoko dodged it with ease. Motoko, as such, was unprepared for the acrobatic twist that the woman performed next, catching her with the heel of the foot she had just kicked with. As Motoko stumbled back, her jaw now aching, the assailant was back on her feet. A twinge of anger shot through Motoko; she had had just about enough of this.

In the blink of an eye, Motoko was behind the assailant, who had barely moved, her blade most of the way into it's sheath. Slowly, calmly, and deliberately she slid the blade in it's last few centimeters until it clicked into place. As if set to trigger at the very sound, the assailant's disguise burst apart into shreds, the pseudo-skin giving way to pale flesh, and the brown hair shredding as black began to fill it's place. Brown eyes finally gave way to black as the woman fell to her knees, dazed and defeated at last.

By now, a fully armed Su, Sara, and, oddly enough, Kitsune were at the doorway, with a borderline distraught Shinobu not far in tow. A disheveled Naru was dragging an equally disheveled, and unclothed, Mutsumi as well, which would have raised questions had it been any other time. Motoko simply ignored them, instead turning around and moving to the woman she'd defeated, turning her around to face her rather roughly. She caught the woman's eyes with her own, and both women held eyes full of pure anger and rage.

"Start talking, _now_." Motoko hissed, her anger strengthening her words.

"Go to hell, _bitch_." was the woman's response, which provoked Motoko to draw her blade and place it against the woman's throat.

"Tell me why you're here!" Motoko shouted, her face mere centimeters from the nude woman "What do you want with Keika?!"

"F**k off!"

Motoko's blade pressed dangerously deep into the woman's bare neck, her eyes beginning to glaze over with her fury.

"Tell me who you are and what you want with _my_ Keika!"

"She's not _your_ Keika!" the woman screeched, reaching up to grab Motoko's clothing in a surprising display of lack of concern for her safety "She's _my_ Keika!"

That was not, by any stretch of the imagination, what Motoko was expecting to hear.

"I was here first you damn _whore_! She's known me for _years_!! She _promised_ we'd be together some day!!!" the strange woman continued to shout for all to hear, almost deafeningly to Motoko's ears.

Motoko's first thought was Hideko, but this woman didn't look _anything_ like her. Just who was this woman?

"Motoko! Let her go!"

Motoko did as she was told, watching as Haruka came up beside her, a coat and her SIG in her hands. She was prepared for anything, it would seem, as she wrapped the black haired girl in the coat to cover her for the sakes of both decency and warmth.

"Are you two alright?" she asked as she glanced between Motoko and the stranger.

"Of course. Who is this?" Motoko demanded, though she was less forceful about it than she had previously been.

"Urashima Kanako." Haruka said as she brought said girl to her feet.

Motoko visibly paled at that; she remembered the name from when Keika had told her a bit about her family. She had just beaten her lover's sister… who was, apparently, quite fond of her older adoptive sister… _disturbingly _'fond', in fact. Motoko could only watch, along with the other residents, as Haruka took to taking care of the youngest Urashima in the premises. Still, everyone was relieved to finally know just who the earlier intruder was.

"Motoko-chan? Is everything alright?"

Motoko spun around to see Keika, the _real_ Keika, standing at the top of the steps from Haruka's place, where she had been staying while Motoko had been laying in wait if somebody attempted anything. She gave her lover a grin, but it was half-hearted at best.

"No one is badly injured, if that is what you mean…" Motoko replied, a bit dryly as she took another glance at Kanako, who was now transfixed and blushing at Keika "It appears your sister was our intruder."

Kanako shrunk down a bit as Keika shot a glance her way, a mixture of surprise and confusion on her face. Finally she broke into a smile.

"Kanako-chan! It's been so long since I've seen you!" Keika exclaimed as she headed over to greet her sister properly "I thought you were still with Hina-oba-san!"

Embarrassed, something Motoko was surprised to see in the younger Urashima given her previously aggressive fighting and outbursts, Kanako managed to respond in the softest of tones.

"Well… I was missing you, Keika-chan." Kanako replied, her nerves evident on her face as Haruka was making sure she was alright.

"Huh, really? I guess I haven't really talked to you in a while, have I?" Keika responded, rubbing her head slightly "Gomenasai, I guess I forgot… a lot."

"…it's alright, Keika-chan."

"But…" Keika began as she stopped at the last moment from hugging her sister "…why are you naked?"

"Um… that would be my doing, Keika-chan." Motoko interjected, now blushing herself "I thought she was a… you know."

Keika, nodded; she knew exactly what Motoko meant. Still, when she turned back to her sister, she was all smiles.

"Well, glad to see my girlfriend…"

Motoko noticed that Kanako's fist tightened, into a rather tight ball. She could tell this was going to be a difficult girl to deal with.

"…didn't hurt you too badly."

"…so what oba-san said is true then?" Kanako asked softly, causing Keika's smile to flutter a bit.

"Well-"

"I'd hate to interrupt our little family reunion," Haruka cut in, now smoking one of her cigarettes out of the corner of her mouth "but one of you is naked, three of us are not dressed for this weather, and two of us look as if we've been doing something strenuous."

At the last part, Naru tried her best to hide behind an equally barely decent Mutsumi, who continued to smile as if everything was normal.

"Let's take this inside."

"Agreed."

The majority of the house, especially the embarrassed Naru, was in the house in no time, but the rest of the group took their time.

"So I'm guessing you were doing impersonations again, right Kanako-chan?" Keika asked her sister with a grin.

"Hai."

"Well, you must have gotten better at them; we didn't even find you, and probably wouldn't have suspected anything if you hadn't shown up on Su's security system."

Kanako visibly frowned at that.

"I was sure I disabled the system where I passed it…" Kanako muttered, mostly to herself.

"You probably did, but Su-chan's got so many safeguards and backup systems, I wouldn't be surprised if-ah!" Keika continued, though she inadvertently tripped over one of her untied shoelaces, since she had left so quickly she had forgot to tie them.

Motoko found a laugh escape her lips, but that was before she felt and heard something pass right in front of her. It was a soft whir, the sound of something moving at a high velocity and with a high rotation, and it was small enough to pass right in front of her eyes and above her nose, yet still be close enough for her to feel the wind off the object. A moment later, she heard something impact the dirt some ten meters away, catching everyone's attention. Motoko and Haruka were the first to react.

"Sniper!" Haruka shouted as she drew her SIG once more, throwing herself in front of Kanako.

Motoko's adrenaline was pumping as her eyes were trained in the direction she figured the round to have come from, and she put herself between the shooter and where Keika currently was. Three flashes went off in the distance from the same location, and Motoko did the first thing that came to mind. With her right arm, the one that still ached from having wrenched it rather badly earlier, she drew her Shishui and, in an absolutely amazing feat of blade control, speed, and precision, managed to strike the bullets in midair. Three flashes, three nearly instantaneous strikes, and six half-rounds landing away from their target in the dirt. (4) Two more shots went off, but these were not silenced rounds, and screaming could be heard in the distance as Haruka, her gun smoking slightly, hurried towards where the flashes were.

"Get inside and take cover! There could be more!" Haruka called as she disappeared into the darkness.

"Kuso! Come on Keika!" Kanako cried, beginning to pull on the stunned, and still crouching, Keika.

"A-Alright!" Keika finally managed as she scrambled to her feet "Motoko!"

Before she had taken a step, and despite the ambient noise in the surrounding area, Keika heard a most peculiar sound: it sounded like falling water droplets. Then there was another… and another… and another, and another… and they were coming from-

"Motoko?" Keika whispered, now actively resisting her sister's attempts to pull her towards the house "Mo-chan?"

Then came a cracking sound, once again coming from Motoko's location, only this time Keika could place the sound. It was coming from Shishui, her 'old' blade, which had a long crack across the very center… the hardest and strongest part of the blade. With yet another crack, and the sound of ringing steel, Shishui broke in half, the top half of the blade clattering to the stones on the ground.

Only when Keika's eyes glanced down at the fallen half of the broken blade did she see the slowly spreading puddle on the ground below Motoko's left arm. Keika suddenly felt as if ice was running through her veins at the sight. Even Kanako began to shake at the sight of the blood.

'_No…'_

"M-Mo-chan?!"

'_No…!'_

Motoko let out a sigh, though little else on her body moved but her mouth.

'_No!'_

"Gomen…" (5) Motoko whispered, barely loud enough for Keika to hear.

'_NO!'_

Then, as time seemed to stand still, Motoko's body fell, revealing dark stains splashed across her body.

'_NO!!!'_

"_**MOTOKO**_**!!!" **

_

* * *

End Chapter 12_

_

* * *

Author's Note: Footnotes…_

_(1) Koikokoro can be translated as 'awakening of love', which I felt was fitting. And before you say anything: refer to the previous chapter regarding the traditions of samurai naming their blades; it's not just something you see in anime's._

_(2) This translate into 'don't mention it' or 'you are welcome'._

_(3) I'm sure everyone's familiar with this tradition, leaving your shoes at the door instead of wearing them inside, but if not… well, google it._

_(4) For this, there is canonical evidence in Mahou Sensei Negima in which Tsukiyomi (I think that's her name) deflects bullets with her swords, and she's a Shinmei-ryu kendoka. As Motoko is the future 'head' of the Shinmei-ryu dojo, I figured cutting bullets in half wouldn't be too far of a stretch. Besides, they've already proven a katana can cut and survive even 50 caliber rounds… for a time, so hunting rifle rounds are entirely plausible._

_(5) This is short for Gomenasai, basically saying 'sorry' instead of 'I'm sorry'._

_I know you _all_ will hate that I left such a gigantic, haughty, royal bastard of a cliffhanger, but trust me: IT IS THE BEST FOR THE STORY!!! DON'T FLAME ME FOR THIS; IT __**WILL**__ GET BETTER!!!_

_Now that that is out of the way: I promise you that the 13__th__ chapter will be up ASAP, which should be in the next week or so due to the fact that I have no school and a suck-ass job at the moment. Just bare with me on this; it _will_ get better… and soon! My goal is to get the 14__th__ chapter, the Epilogue, up before the 12__th__ of January, and I plan to stick to it!_

_Until my next update… see you later._


	13. Time is Up

_Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, nor am I making money from this._

_**WARNING: W007!1! W007!1! W007!1!**_

_Author's Note: Okay, as I promised, here is the second-to-last chapter: lucky chapter 13. I know y'all are anxious to read this chapter, so I won't waist any more of your time with this Author's Note._

_**

* * *

Love Hina: All-Girls Dorm Edition**_

_Chapter 13:Time is Up_

* * *

"…my fault…"

"Keika-"

"It's all my fault…"

"Look-"

"She could… could…"

"Aneue…"

Keika's form continued to shake, her body hunched over in the hospital seat outside the emergency room of the hospital. The various members of Hinata-sou crowded around her, and even the rambunctious Su and rude Sara were in a melancholy state. Most had tears in their eyes, but none more than Keika, who was to the point where she'd run out of tears, her eyes now red and puffy behind her glasses. Her gloved hands were clasped together, her knuckles white beneath the worn, black leather, as if she was desperately trying to hold onto her last strain of hope.

"Look, suga, Motoko's gonna be alright." Kitsune offered, her happy go lucky tone nowhere to be found "She's a strong gal, after all."

"She was hurt because of _me_…" Keika muttered, her eyes unfocused and glazed over, as if her mind were elsewhere.

"Ya didn't pull the trigger, girl."

"I didn't _do_ anything…" Keika countered, a slight twinge of anger to her voice "…that's why she's in there… that's why _all_ of this has happened…"

"Aneue… it's not your fault." Kanako reiterated in Kitsune's place "You-"

A loud shattering sound was enough to scare everyone in the hallway. This was due to the brand new crater in the wall, courtesy of Keika's rather aggressive backhand.

"It's my fault, _dammit_!" Keika shouted, her teeth grit as the various forms of anger crossed her features "That bastard was shooting at _me_! _I_ was the target, not Motoko-chan! All of this is because that f**king bitch _Hideko_ wants me _dead_ and we can't prove shit about any of her involvement!"

Nobody said a thing; nobody was brave enough to disagree with the one woman who could, easily, keep up with the currently disabled blademistress without a weapon. Seconds would eventually turn to minutes, and minutes into an hour, until finally the youngest three members of the house found themselves passing out in the seats. Mutsumi was asleep next, curled up in an embrace with a tear-stained Naru, neither caring that they looked much, much more than friends at the moment. Kitsune was next to fall asleep, though it was begrudgingly that she did so. In the end, the only two left awake in the wee hours of the morning was the Urashima siblings.

"…aneue?" Kanako finally whispered, though she knew better than to expect an actual response "…she's going to be fine."

No response.

"That woman is strong, stronger than Hina-oba-san and myself." Kanako continued, her eyes still transfixed on the door leading back into the ER "She won't give up."

"She doesn't deserve this…" Keika finally whispered, her head still hung low, hands still gripped "it should be-"

"No!" Kanako hissed, roughly grabbing and turning her older sister to face her "Don't you even _think_ of saying it should be you in there! You deserve her fate no more than she does!"

Keika tried to turn away, but was roughly forced into the back of her seat instead.

"Do you really think you getting shot would be any better?! Imagine how your," Kanako had to pause and collect herself for the briefest of moments "_girlfriend_ would feel! Or your family!"

'_Or how I would feel…'_ Kanako thought, but simply couldn't bring herself to say this.

"That woman, Motoko, loves you! She loves you so much that she was willing to put her life on the line for you!"

'_Just like me… she loves you just like me, aneue…'_

Keika's gaze remained in it's same dead expression, but apparently her body had managed to replenish her tears, which were now falling. It was all Kanako could do not to let her 'mask' break.

"Just… stop blaming yourself already. Motoko will be fine, and she wouldn't want you to be acting like… this."

Keika's expression didn't change, nor did her body move at all. Her eyes, however, flickered ever so slightly, but it was but a fleeting thing. Still, it was as if it was a flicker of hope in Kanako's eyes… yet she knew that this is where her help would be ending.

"…I'll be right back; I have to make a call." Kanako said suddenly, standing up slowly and removing her hand from it's previous hold on Keika's shoulder "…I…"

'_I love you.'_

"…I'll see you later." Kanako finished, moving down the hallway without looking to see if her words even registered with her aneue.

Keika's expression didn't change, yet tears continued to fall as she watched her sister head down the hallway. Eventually, Kanako turned a corner and was finally out of sight, and only then did the teary eyed Urashima turn back to staring at her still clasped hands. Slowly, and quite carefully, Keika unfolded her hands, revealing inside of it a small, black, velvet box. Carefully, she looked it over in it's entirety, though never once did she open it.

The tears stopped after that, and she waited.

* * *

Kanako's throat was tight; it was as if she could barely breathe. By this point now, she was practically running through the hospital, now safely outside of Keika's sight. Her tears were falling off in streams of beads, until finally she passed through the final exit door and was safely out in the moonlight. Then, of course, the sobs began to break loose, and the rest of her strong composure fell away the moment she was in an area free from prying eyes.

Of everything she had done over the course of her life, _that_ had to have been the most difficult. It had taken everything, literally _everything_ she had to say those things to the woman she loved. It had taken her full force of will to keep from breaking down in front of her older sister, knowing that with every word she spoke, her chances of ever being with her plummeted exponentially. Yet knowing that, she'd done it… for the very reason she wanted to be more than simply 'imouto' to her adoptive sister.

'_That samurai girl… she cares so much for that samurai girl…'_ Kanako's mind began as her tears finally began to subside _'If that's who it takes to make Keika happy…'_

Her phone rang a moment later, startling Kanako from her pit of emotions. She quickly recomposed herself, making sure her 'mask' was back in place, and pulled out her cell phone. Seeing that it was Haruka, she answered it.

"Hello?"

"_What's the word on Motoko?"_ Haruka began, her voice clearly expressing that she was _not _in the mood for pleasantries.

"Nothing at all, as of yet."

"_Kuso… and Keika?"_

"She's… holding up… best as one could hope for."

"_*sigh* Look, I _just_ finished with the cops up here, so I'll be there in ten minutes, if you'll let everyone know."_

"It took this long to have a man arrested for attempted murder?!" Kanako growled angrily into the phone.

"_No, it took this long to convince those bastards that it was _entirely_ a self-defense shooting on my part, since the man was shot twice at long range and another four at short."_

Though initially shocked he was alive, Kanako was, in a ruthless, sadistic way, wishing the man was still in Haruka's care long enough for her to slowly disembowel him for the pain he was bringing Keika.

"_Look, just tell all the girls I'll be there soon, and make sure Keika gets in touch with that cop she knows."_

This sparked Kanako's attention.

"What cop?"

"_The one who gave her his card the last time she was shot at."_

Learning that this wasn't the first time Keika's life had been at stake nearly pushed her over the edge. Still, she bit her tongue, but her tone was a bit colder as she continued to speak.

"Keika-chan didn't bring anything like that with her; she doesn't even have any ID." Kanako said calmly, her words flowing out like silk.

"_Kuso!!! Ugh… here's his number…"_

Kanako quickly memorized the number, a plan beginning to form in her mind. She had another call to make, it seemed.

* * *

"You are Urashima-san, correct?"

Keika's head shot up from her clasped hands in an instant, seeing the face of a middle-aged man dressed in scrubs commonly used by surgeons. Keika's heart both plummeted and raced at the same time, and she shot to her feet the next moment.

"Hai hai! Please tell me she's alright! Please, _please _tell me Motoko-chan's gonna be fine!" Keika began to yell, her nerves displacing her normally quiet nature as the other girl's around began to stir.

"Calm down miss, Aoyama-san is out of surgery and stable." the surgeon explained, not fazed in the slightest "B-"

"Which room is she in?!" Keika interrupted, unbearably relieved to hear that Motoko was not only alive, but also, as the doctor had put it, 'stable'.

"Ma'am," the doctor replied, holding up a hand that silenced her immediately "I can't let anyone in to see her yet."

"_What_?!"

The other girls were awake after that screech, with Naru and Mutsumi ending up rear and back first on the floor after falling out of their combined seat.

"The only one's allowed in are to be family, unless the patient specifies otherwise." the doctor explained, still maintaining his calm, professional attitude "As Aoyama-san is unconscious, only family may be allowed in at this time."

"You… yer serious, aren't you?" Kitsune, now wide awake and on her feet "Motoko's sis can't be 'ere 'til tomorrow!"

"I'm sorry about that, but it's hospital policy to not-"

"Oh stuff it you-mmphahuher!" Naru began as she tried to approach, though Mutsumi's hands managed to hinder both action and speech.

"Ara, now is a _bad_ time for that." Mutsumi whispered, her face a bit more normal, but still not quite there yet.

"Please, sir, I _need_ to see her!" Keika pleaded, her hands still gripping the small box tightly in her hands.

"I _can't_ let you see her since you are not family, Urashima-san." the doctor repeated "You have my word that Aoyama-san is not only in good hands, but that she is, as I said, perfectly stable. There is no chance of her having a complication here in this hospital."

Knowing that talking would get her nowhere, Keika found herself simply letting out a reluctant sigh.

"Arigatou!" Keika exclaimed as she bowed deeply and respectfully, which was returned by the doctor wholeheartedly.

However, when the doctor left, Keika's face fell once more, and she regretfully sank back into the chair near the cracked area of a wall (which, she noted, she'd probably have to pay for).

"Yay! Motokos is okays!" Su shouted, jumping in her seat next to Shinobu, who was clearly crying tears of joy.

"Hah! What did ah tell ya girl?! She's gonna be just fahn, see?" Kitsune declared with her usual foxy grin, setting a firm hand on the older woman's shoulder "Ah told ya she was a strong one!"

Keika simply smiled, and though it appeared legit, she knew it was but a hollow shell of the real one.

"That stupid doctor though… are you really going to sit around waiting for hours while Tsuruko gets here?" Naru added in, having finally been freed from Mutsumi's hand, which was now wound around Naru's waist in a friendly fashion.

"Heh… I think it would be best for us all." Keika responded, her fake grin ever the more convincing "I don't' think you all would enjoy deciding whether to visit the jail or the hospital every day."

"Ya got that right…"

Of the group, the only one not smiling was Sara, who simply watched as Keika continued to effectively feign her happy, relieved self.

'_Keika's not _that_ stupid... the doctor was deliberately saying 'stable'.'_ Sara thought, continuing to watch the Urashima _'That, and 'no complications'. Motoko's not going to be 'just fine'…'_

* * *

"_**You remember the plan? The rules?"**_

"_Of course!"_

"_**Alright then, you better be good."**_

"_I'm the best."_

* * *

A man calmly traversed the streets, heading up the pavement as the daylight seemed to be breaking over the horizon. The man was gruff, his hair short all over and with a full beard the same length as his hair on his head. He wore nothing extraordinary; simple sweatshirt and jeans, with a backpack slung over his back that appeared to be filled to the brim. He glanced around as he took a turn down a main street, and then another turn at an alleyway leading into yet another one.

After one final turn, coming up next to one of the larger buildings, the man gripped a metal door and tried to open it. However, it was locked, and the man swore beneath his breath. However, with a ding, the speaker next to the door crackled to life.

"**Who is it?"**

"Uh… it's me dear, I, uh, left my keys at work." the man said into the com system with a nervous grin "You mind opening the door?"

"**Oh honey, of course I'll buzz you in!"**

A few moments later, the metal door unlocked itself, and the man entered quickly. His face hardened as he dropped his backpack just inside the door, shrugging off his sweatshirt to reveal a polo underneath, and strong, ripped muscles sticking out of the polo sleeves. Quickly, he scanned the area, and seeing that nobody was around, he decided to move further into the main room: an empty garage. He moved now with a trained, practiced gait, and he was fluid in every action he took, as if he was simply playing a practiced part in a play.

He went through another door further in, this time opening up to what appeared to be an office, with a window aimed directly at the rising sun. In front of the man was a desk, a simple metal one, and behind that there sat a young woman with blonde hair, clad in a tight, white top that clung to every aspect of her glorious figure. The woman was beautiful, but something about her smile… it felt a bit off.

"How was work, honey?" the blonde asked with a pleasant grin as she relaxed into the chair she sat in "I take it no problems?"

"Well… that old witch there had one hell of an arm, and that traditional girl got in the way again." the man said calmly "But hey, I survived and have one more day of work completed."

The blonde nodded her head, slowly standing up to reveal her tight, white miniskirt that did little else but cover the essentials.

"Wonderful…" the woman purred "You've done well, Taka."

Taka didn't even so much as nod, simply crossed his arms behind him, as if standing at attention.

"I've done my part, so it's your turn now." he said gruffly "I want fifteen grand now, Sakata-hime."

"Excuse me?" Sakata replied, wholly incredulous "It was five up front, five after, and that was our _final_ agreement!"

"That was before I met one Urashima Haruka, and before she put two rounds into my armor from over a hundred meters away… with a _pistol._" Taka countered "You also didn't mention that that f**kin' samurai could _cut _bullets in two, so I want twenty grand in all."

"Well, if you had done a better job, then that wouldn't have been an issue now, would it?" Sakata spat back "If that's what happened, then you should be glad I'm even giving you the second five grand."

Taka leaned forward and drove his fists into the metal desk, the wrenching and resounding clunk shaking the floor beneath the two room's occupants.

"If you think, after all I've done for you, I'm going to let you shaft me like some _rookie_, then you'd best be able to dodge some goddamn bullets yourself." Taka said calmly, those his voice was laden with a fine layer of acid.

"Ooh… you're in a feisty mood today…" Sakata purred as she crossed her arms in front of her well endowed chest "But I still see no reason to pay you the extra simply for a few dents and some extra spent rounds."

"Listen, _Hideko_, I've been nice about this these last few hits, but I'm getting sick of you always doing this!" Taka began to shout, though it was doubtful anyone outside the building could hear him "We agree on a decent price, I go after your target, and no matter what you _always_ try to go back on your deal!"

"Oh… I'm hurt…" Hideko whispered, clearly exaggerating "I thought you simply did this because you _loved_ me…"

"Stuff it already; I didn't go to put a bullet through Urashima Keika's skull because I 'love you'. I expect you to pay what I'm asking for it, and I expect you to pay _now_."

Hideko sighed, sitting back down in her office chair.

"_Fine_… if that's _all_ you care about…" she grumbled, not particularly amused as she pulled a large envelope "There's your five grand, and I'll have another five for you by tomorrow, since you're so _efficient_."

Taka regarded the woman for a moment, locking eyes with her before finally picking up the envelope and checking it's contents. Finally, with a short bow, he turned and began making his way out of the building with the same practiced gait as earlier. After slipping on the sweatshirt, and putting the backpack on, Taka left and took a left down the alley.

At the next turn though, Taka was grinning like a madman as he reached up and grabbed the side of his face. He tore at it, peeling what appeared to be his flesh away, exposing light, pale skin beneath it, and revealing long, black hair. The moment she rounded the corner, she tossed the money laden envelope to another man, who caught it with a knowing look.

"She's all yours… I told you I was the best." Kanako said as she pulled off the electronic bug from under the collar of the polo she was wearing "She practically _sang_ for us."

"Arigatou, you have no idea what you've done for me." the officer, the one Keika had 'befriended', said as tears threatened to escape his eyes "Finally… I can avenge my granddaughter…"

Kanako simply gave the man a quick nod before making her way back to the squad car that was waiting for her to take her to the hospital, watching as the small team of armed officers began to zero in on Hideko's location.

'_Still wish I'd been allowed to kill that bitch…'_

* * *

Keika's body, and mind, were both nearing full drain. It was morning now, several hours since Motoko was let out of surgery, yet here she was still waiting for them to allow her in. She'd been up for more than twenty four hours now; it was starting to take it's toll, and yet she still held herself awake and aware, gripping onto the small black box for all she could.

Haruka had come over some time before, but she had mostly stayed outside due to the hospital's policy against smoking indoors. As for Kanako… Keika had no idea where she had gone, but based on Haruka's questioning about whether she had called that officer or not, she had a hunch as to what she was trying to do. Still, she doubted anything could be done, but Keika did appreciate the effort, and the concern.

Then, she sensed something familiar, yet different at the same time. Her head cocked to one side, and her eyes widened as she saw a figure clad in white and red, accompanied by a tall man with dark hair. Only one of them carried any open weapons, and as such it was the woman who carried one at her hip and two in her arms.

Immediately, Keika was on her feet, followed quickly by a, surprisingly aware, Kitsune.

"Tsuruko-san." Keika said, her mouth suddenly dry as the older Aoyama approached.

Unlike before, the older woman was not smiling, not in the slightest.

"How is she?" the older woman asked, no hint of joyful amusement present in her tone.

"She's-"

"Stable." Sara cut in, having woken up some time before "That's what the doctor said: 'stable and unlikely to have complications here at the hospital'."

Apparently, Tsuruko didn't like that particular answer.

"What happened?" Tsuruko asked, but her tone made it more of a demand than anything else.

Both Kitsune and Sara looked away, leaving Keika alone to answer.

"She… was protecting… me." Keika muttered, her head and shoulders hunching as she found herself unable to look her lover's sister in the eyes "She was… hit with bullet fragments after cutting them in half… trying to divert them away from me."

A sudden surge of ki shot through the area, and even Kitsune was able to feel the temperature in the area drop. That, and the glare Tsuruko was giving the young Urashima was enough to scare most seasoned fighters. The man, whom was assumed to be Tsuruko's husband, decided it was best if he remained silent at Tsuruko's side, in case something, whatever it may be, occurred.

"Why, pray tell, was someone trying to shoot you, _Urashima-san_?"

"… well-"

The door leading into the main area of the ward opened up, a nurse catching the attention of all involved, and awakening those who weren't already up.

"You all are here for Aoyama-san, correct?" the nurse asked, glancing over the mixed group.

The majority of the group replied, in some form or fashion.

"Well, I came to inform you that she's awake and that we are allowing visitors now." the nurse explained, much to the relief of those around "However, she did make a request."

"What might that be?" Tsuruko asked, as she was 'technically' the only family there, besides her husband of course.

"She wished for an Urashima Keika to come in first, and alone." the nurse said, prompting Tsuruko to shoot a glance at the Urashima woman.

Keika gulped, her nerves beginning to act up as she took a step forward.

"Ano, that's me." she said quietly, which got a smile from the nurse.

"Well Urashima-san, if you'll just follow me, I'll take you in to see Aoyama-san." the nurse said, opening the door and gesturing for her to follow.

Before she did though, a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"One moment, Urashima." Tsuruko said, slowly turning the woman around to face her.

After a moment, in which Keika was silently fearing for her life, Tsuruko brought up the two katanas she was holding in her hand. They happened to be Koikokoro and the broken Shishui, both in their sheaths, of course.

"Take these in to her; having those will bring her some comfort, I believe." Tsuruko said, her face softening from it's once hardened expression.

Keika simply nodded, and several moments later she found herself following the nurse through the halls of the hospital, the velvet box in her pocket and the two blades in her hands, which garnered her a number of odd and interesting looks from the onlookers. Normally she'd be nervous with all the attention, but at the moment she was more nervous about seeing Motoko. What if she was horribly, horribly disfigured? What if she was hooked up to all sorts of machinery? She knew the doctor said she was 'stable', but not once did she say that her lover was in good shape.

In her thoughts, Keika nearly ran into the nurse as she stopped at a door, turning to grin up at her.

"This is her room, Urashima-san." the nurse explained, slowly opening the door.

After a brief moment of hesitation, she rounded around into the room, her eyes immediately locking onto the sole bed in the room. It was not nearly as bad as she had thought; she had assumed something much, much worse. Motoko lay there, clearly dressed in a gown (AN: I have _no_ idea what those damn things are called…), with only a single machine attached to her body to make sure her heart rate was stable. She was pale, yet she did not look too sickly, and even her hair seemed no different than normal, though it was most likely cleaned up by a nurse, since it was bloodstained when she was put in the back of the ambulance.

In fact, the only real sign that Motoko was injured was the fact that her left arm was wrapped in a combination of a sling, bandages, and what looked to be a brace. Then again, that was only the _visible_ portion. Still, Keika found herself frozen just inside the door, multiple conflicting emotions pushing her towards a stalemate as she stood there, most likely gaping. Motoko slowly turned towards her, a weak smile crossing her face.

"Hello, Kei-chan." Motoko said softly, not quite maintaining her usual strength behind her words.

That was far more than enough to push Keika into action, and the moment after she had crossed the room and roughly placed the two katanas she held down on a nearby table, she approached Motoko and did the first thing that came to mind…

She reached down, gripped the sides of Motoko's face, and proceeded to bend over and kiss her as lovingly as she could manage. Motoko, though surprised and slightly dazed initially, was not about to complain about Keika's greeting, even as the young Urashima began to let her tears of joy flow freely down her face. Their mouths parted, and their tongues met to dance to a tune only the two of them knew. Motoko's uninjured hand quickly wove it's way into Keika's brown locks, forcing the kiss to deepen even further than it already was.

Only when the biological needs for air became to much did the two women part, gasping and breathing heavily as strings of saliva slowly broke between them.

"Kami… -sama… Motoko…" Keika gasped out, loosening her grip on Motoko's face significantly "You have… no idea… how happy…"

"Hai… I do…" Motoko responed, equally out of breath.

Keika nodded, mostly because she couldn't manage anything else, and the two silently agreed to continue their conversation after the caught their breath. That didn't take too long.

"How are you feeling?" Keika asked, a bit cautious as she pulled up the chair in the room.

"It hurts, and it will get worse when the pain medications leave my system entirely." Motoko said, glancing sideways at her left arm, which was currently preventing her from moving at the moment "Pain helps toughen the body, so I will not take pain medicines unless absolutely necessary."

Keika thought to protest initially, but quickly quelled it. Besides, there were far more important things to say.

"Well… what exactly… ano… what's the… uh…"

"Where do I hurt?" Motoko offered up with a chuckle "My shoulder mostly, but I had grazing wounds on my right side and the outside of my left thigh. The only wound that will take more than a few weeks to heal fully is my shoulder."

"How bad…?" Keika queried, now beginning to feel guilty for what had happened.

Motoko's weak smile vanished, and that was when Keika knew there was a serious problem.

"I do not know the details entirely, but apparently half of the final bullet tore through both bone and cartlidge in my shoulder, as well as fragmented to cut through nerves and an artery before exiting entirely." Motoko explained, her voice low and, overall, solemn.

Keika knew that that was a very, _very_ bad injury, and immediately the guilt hit her like a train.

"But… that's going to heal fine, right?" Keika asked, almost pleadingly.

Motoko didn't respond, and Keika immediately felt here heart drop.

"It's going to work again, right?!"

"…possibly…" Motoko answered "...possibly not..."

The words hung in the air like a noxious fog, and Keika suddenly found herself unable to remain composed.

"How… how can you lay there and be so calm about that?!" Keika found herself beginning to shout, standing from her chair as her guilt came out as anger "You're telling me that you may never be able to use your arm again like it's no big deal!"

Motoko tried to interrupt, but Keika began anew.

"It's my fault you're even in here! _My fault_! The sniper was shooting at _me_! _I_ was the only one who _should_ have been injured!" Keika continued shouting, her tears flying off her face "_I'm_ the reason your arm may be ruined, so why aren't you _yelling_ at _me_?! Or _blaming_ me?! _How the hell can you even bare to _look_ at me_?!?!"

In a moment, Motoko's uninjured hand reached out and took hold of Keika's collar, pulling the older woman forward until their faces were less than ten centimeters apart. The fire in Motoko's eyes were unlike any Keika had ever seen, and to be honest… it scared her.

"Do. Not. _Ever_. Blame. Yourself. _Again_." Motoko said, her voice cold and deathly serious "I knew what was at stake; I made my own call. I will _gladly_ put everything,_ everything_, on the line to protect you. I would _die_ for you, and would do so without a second thought."

As Motoko released her hold on the Urashima, Keika fell down into her seat, apparently stunned.

"The fact that you are safe, that it's not _you_ sitting here in the hospital or worse, is worth much more than my arm ever could." Motoko continued, her gaze still locked with her lover's "I'd do it again in a heartbeat… because I love you."

The seconds ticked by, and nobody moved or made a sound, save for the cardiograph attached to Motoko. Then, as if it was a statue coming to life, Keika's jaw began to work once more.

"I… I don't… I'm… I shouldn't have… sorry…" Keika muttered, her hands moving down to her lap "I… don't… know what to say… after that…"

Then, Keika's hands came back up above the table, and she quickly clasped them around Motoko's open palm. Motoko's eyes snapped open a she felt her lover push something into her hand and pull away slowly, leaving the object in her now enclosed hand. She carefully brought it back up to her level, turning her hand palm up so that she could verify what she thought it to be. What she saw was a small, velvet, black box, and by the sound of the cardiograph, her heart was beginning to race.

"Aishite imasu." Keika said, her cracking voice displaying more emotions in those few words than anything else ever could "Please, even if it's not… legally… would you…?"(1)(2)

"…open it for me…" Motoko whispered, barely audibly.

Slowly, Keika did, and in the middle of the velvet lined box, atop a bed of soft silk, lay a simple, single gold band. It was nothing special; it was simple and, some would say, traditional. Motoko was utterly, utterly speechless.

"I…" Motoko tried to say, but found that she was too choked up.

So, being a woman more of action and less of words, she set the box down and picked up the simple band. With but a quick flick of her freed wrist, the ring was in the air and spinning slightly, but it was only for a moment before her hand shot up, the ring sliding right over the knuckles on her ring finger. It fit _perfectly_, and the smile on Motoko's face was enough to answer the question that Keika's actions had asked.

Then, as if to seal the deal, they decided to let their actions speak for them once more, and the two let their lips meet once more in a loving, tender kiss. Nothing could disturb them, not even the slowly growing sound of someone running and shouting down the hall.

"Motokos!" Su shouted as she threw open the door, quickly being followed by Sara and, oddly enough, Shinobu "We's'a found…you?"

"Su! We should kno-" Shinobu began to chastise the young mad scientist, but her jaw immediately hit the floor the moment she saw why Su had become suddenly silent.

"Wow… those two are _really_ into each other…" Sara mused aloud, quickly grabbing hold of her two partners in crime "Let's leave the lovebirds alone for now."

And alone the two would be, lost together in their own little world of bliss and love available for all to see.

_**

* * *

*BZZZT***_

"…_**story tonight is of Sakata Hideko, niece of Sakata Ichiro, a well known police sergeant. Through the effort of the Hinata Police Department, and with the aid of startling new evidence, Hideko has been effectively linked to an attempted murder that occurred last night involving a hitman and Urashima Keika, manager of Hinata-sou. The brief exchange ended in the injuries of the hitman, who's name is undisclosed as of this moment, and of Aoyama Motoko, a resident at the dorm…"**_

_***BZZT***_

"…_**Sakata Ichiro has come under questioning after the events of this morning, when police conducted a raid on an abandoned warehouse where his niece, Sakata Hideko, was said to be hiding. The warehouse, however, was in a heavy blaze within moments, though nobody was injured in the fire. Hideko's remains have **_**not**_** been found…"**_

_***BZT***_

"…_**previously hidden evidence has begun to come to light regarding a young woman named Sakata Hideko. Newly rediscovered police reports show several connections between Hideko and the deaths of over twenty young women, all killed using well known hitmen's modus operandi. Warrants have been issued for the arrest of Sakata Hideko after new piece of evidence was added to the listing: a taped conversation between Hideko and someone posing as the hitman hired in a shooting that took place late last-"**_

_***CRASH***_

"_GOD DAMN YOU, URASHIMA KEIKA!!!_"

_

* * *

End Chapter 13_

_

* * *

Author's Note: Footnotes…_

_(1) By this I mean 'in the eyes of the law', not an 'illegal marriage'. Remember, at this time, Japan has not legalized gay marriage._

_(2) Also, keep in mind that, in the manga, Keitaro gave Naru a ring in a Western fashion. Also keep in mind that they had a Western style wedding. And finally, keep in mind that I am Western, so I will go with the Western engagement and wedding traditions… because I know it's details._

_Well, finally, there is the end of the fic… kinda. Now, all that is left is the epilogue, which I do believe will go over well with all of you, my lovely, lovely readers. However, I would appreciate some constructive criticism (aka. REVIEWS!) in the meantime._

_Also, please take a look at my Author's Page; I have a poll there that will determine which idea I use for my next story concept, since I'm almost done with this one._


	14. Four Years and Then Some

_Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, nor am I making money from this._

_**WARNING: The story is ending now! NOOOOOOO!!!**_

_Author's Note: 'tis the end! For some, it will be finally, and for others it will be unfortunately. However, this is not the end of my work on this site... not by a **long** shot! But alas, let us get on with the fic!_

_**

* * *

Love Hina: All-Girls Dorm Edition**_

_Epilogue: Four Years and Then Some_

* * *

"KYAA!! Pervert!!"

Explosions echoed throughout Hinata-sou, amidst screams and shouts from various members of the inn. From her space on the roof, Keika could hear every word, and she couldn't help but chuckle to herself in sheer awe at the actions of the other girls. It appeared that Shinobu, once a shy, easily embarrassed little girl, had become the much more open and outgoing girl that somehow managed to cause problems like these. Personally, most of the girls thought that she reminded them of Naru… minus the short temper.

The controlled, if you could go so far as to call it that, explosions were, of course, Su's handiwork. Apparently, not too much had changed over the years; she'd simply found more effective, focused, and efficient ways to channel her inner 'evil genius'. The same as Mutsumi and Naru, though their relationship was, at this point, no real secret. Kitsune, on the other hand, was now in charge of the Hinata-sou tea shop, since Haruka had given it to her after she, finally, married Seta. Having work finally began to shape up the once lazy fox, it seemed. Sera hadn't changed much, except fall into a bit more of a rebellious attitude due to being a teenager now, and Kanako, the third of the co-owners of Hinata-sou… well, she had begun to open up around people more.

As for Keika and her Motoko… well…

"…I should probably stop them before somebody gets killed…" Keika mused aloud, getting up from her spot on the railing.

If one were to compare the Keika of now and the Keika of six years ago, then they would see a tremendously different woman. There were simple things, such as her ponytailed hair and bangs growing down to her waist and breasts respectively. There were some obvious things, like the fact that her body now was noticeably more toned and fit, giving her a more athletic sort of beauty. Likewise, the clothes had moved from men's shirts and slacks to blouses and comfortable pants and shorts, such as now with her loose pants and sleeveless blouse with a light jacket. Still, if one were to look closely, they'd see a difference between the two pictures that wasn't so clear, and that one could likely not quite place. If you met her though, you'd know immediately what it was: she came across as a _completely_ different woman, one who was stronger, more confident…

…and obviously more courageous, as few would jump off of the roof of a three story building only to land on the top of a human-sized mech.

Keika flipped off the mech a moment later, just as it's head was blown out through the front of it's body without any apparent attack, effectively dropping the robot before Keika had even hit the ground without any apparent effort. As Keika moved, smiling, through the smoke and flame, she was graced by the sight of a younger… girl… with long black hair and a clear look of panic. Keika then realized that her particular entrance could have been a bit better.

"Oh, don't worry: I won't hurt you." Keika said with a grin, only to be met with the sight of the young girl fainting, naked, in the grass.

'_Well, I guess I won't have to calm her down now…'_

* * *

"Oh, you should have seen her face! That girl was cute when she was overreacting!" Keika stated amongst laughs, leaning against the back of the seat in the tea house "If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought I'd gone back in time and met myself!"

"That bad, eh?" Kitsune replied from her place behind the counter, taking a sip of her drink as she went about working "Kinda got the ol' gears goin' 'gain, right?"

"Heh, I guess you could say that." Keika replied a she stretched her arms, which were bare due to her coat being shed as she entered the warm establishment "It actually got me thinking of the first time I met Mo-chan."

"Ya mean when y' caught tha' ki thing a hers?"

"Hai; I can kinda remember the look on her face when she saw me do that… wish I had a camera then."

"Shouldn't ya be thinkin' 'bout t'morrow?" Kitsune asked, raising an eyebrow as her smile grew ever so slightly "'The Big Day', y'know?"

"Yeah…" was all Keika could muster before her eyes seemed to lose focus on anything in the real world… for a moment "Speaking of that, have you heard anything from Kanako-chan or Haruka-oba-san?"

"Nah, not a thing, but nobody's seen 'er for _years_, y'know." Kitsune replied as she continued about her business, though a bit more serious than before "Still, ya sure ya don't want any security?"

"No. Besides, Mo-chan and I can take care of anything that comes our way, and that's excluding Haruka, Seta, Tsuruko, Su's Mecha-Tamas…"

"Alright, I get it. Sheesh…" Kitsune said with a bemused laugh "Jus' makin' sure it ain't gettin' to ya none."

"Not even a concern."

"Alright then, now don'cha got somewhere t' be?" Kitsune said with a sly grin ever fitting to her nickname "She's still the punctual one, y'know."

"Hai, hai, and that's just one of the things I love about her." Keika replied with a slight blush, which got Kitsune's mind going just a bit as she watched the other woman stand up and get ready to leave.

"Yeah, jus' one a th' many, _many_ things y' love 'bout the gal. From what ah've _overheard_, y' _really_ 'love' her nice, big, firm-"

"Kitsune!"

"What about how much y' enjoy her long, shapely-"

"_Kitsune!!_"

"Oh, and let's not forget that rear you could bounce a-"

"_KITSUNE!!!"_

"Alright, alright, ah'll lay off ya fer now." Kitsune said as she allowed herself a good chuckle, seeing as the older woman was now fully red-faced and evidently still easily embarrassed on the subject.

"Ugh… why did you have to bring… that…" Keika began, but trailed off as her blushed brightened "…oh… yeah… can I ask you a question?"

Now officially intrigued, Kitsune could only manage to quirk an eyebrow and nod.

"…do you know where I can find another… um…" Keika then leaned in a bit more closely as she threw her black jacket on, eventually resorting to whispering right into Kitsune's ear.

Kitsune's eyes actually snapped _all_ the way open, and she could only manage to stare, gaping, at Keika for several long moments.

"Ya have _got_ t' be kiddin' me! Y' need _another_ one?!" Kitsune finally exclaimed as she threw her hands about in exasperation "What is Motoko doin' t' you when y' _wear _it?!"

"Well-"

"Nevermind, I really don't think I wanna know now…"

* * *

Motoko sat, eyes closed as she took in the world around her through it's natural menagerie of sensorial effectors. She could smell everything from lacquer on the wood to the sweat and blood that lay in the various rooms of the dojo from the intensity of the students' trainings. She could hear the sounds of sparring and footsteps, as well as the breathing of those in the same room as her. She could feel the vibrations of the earth beneath her feet, caused by those around her with their feet upon the earth. Then, just when it appeared as if she were in a state of pure, utter tranquility…

She was up in an instant, her blade drawn in a deafening, echoing ringing of steel only to clamor into the blade of another in a sharp, echoing crack. The sight of the swordswoman was truly something to behold, with her waist-length hair and hime-style cut, which only served to strengthen the beauty she had been naturally gifted with. She had the body of an athlete, the grace of a dancer, and the strength, both of will and of body, that few in her position could rival… yet if one looked less closely, they'd see a completely different story.

She wore not the normal training garb that the others around her did, not even clothes in the same century in which they were designed. Instead, she wore blue jeans, which were loose on her legs so as to not hinder her movement, and a long-sleeve white shirt. Evidently, she had also stepped away from her previous chest bindings, opting for a sports bra in it's stead, by the look of things. Over all of that was a black jacket with fur along the collar; her gift from her wondrous lover on her last birthday. Yet somehow, in spite of the modern, civilian look, she still managed the proper form, the proper finesse, and still wore her black and red Koikokoro at her waist.

At this particular moment though, the blade was sitting comfortably in her right hand, with her left hand on her sheath, as she threw her attacker back with enough force to actually lift him off his feet. In the few seconds that she had before another attack came, Motoko managed so slide her left hand back through her sleeve, then adjusted things so that her elbow rested in her sleeve, with her hand gripping onto the hem of the jacket on the right side of her body. (1) She finished just in time to parry an attack from behind, catching the blade near the hilt and using her ki to throw the blade out of her opponent's hands. With a continuation of the motion, Motoko spun and let loose a blast of ki, catching two more opponents and throwing them backwards into the wall before throwing her arm back and laying the blade down the length of her body, catching one more attack just as it would hit her body.

"Good. You staggered your attacks just enough to prevent me from taking you all out at once." Motoko said with a grin, evidently pleased "However…"

In a flash, several more of the new opponents were sent flying into, and in one case through, the walls of the training room. In the center of the mess of bodies of Shinmei-ryu deshi was Motoko, who, with one arm still held in a sling-like fashion with her coat, deftly sheathed her blade with effortless, practiced grace. Clapping began to resound from the doorway, and Motoko looked up to see both her dear sister and someone else who was practically family already.

"Very good, imouto!" Tsuruko congratulated as she clapped "It's nice to see that, even though it is your last day as the shihan of the school, you are not slacking off." (2)

"Way to put them in their place 'aneue'." Kanako said with a smirk "I'm sure these 'bad apples' won't forget this particular disciplinary action anytime soon."

"No, they shall not." Motoko responded as she slowly made her way over to the doorway where the other two stood, slipping her left arm back into where it was supposed to be in the jacket.

"Your arm's hurting today, right?" Kanako asked, slightly concerned, as Motoko finally stopped in front of her.

"Hai, the weather is changing again." Motoko explained as she rubbed her left shoulder slightly "It always aches when the weather changes."

"I know I've told you this before, but it still impresses me that you've surpassed me by so much when you can _only_ wield a blade with one hand." Tsuruko said with a smile "Imagine how much _more_ talented you would be with both."

"I do not think I could get any better, aneue." Motoko replied with a similar smile "It is less a measure of ability, and more a measure of effort. I have, as Keika would put it, 'worked my ass off' to get to this point."

"I know, imouto. However, it's time for you to be going now; you still have some important preparations before tomorrow afternoon." Tsuruko said simply, before bringing her younger sister in for a hug "I'm proud of you, and I know that Oba-san would be too."

Motoko returned the hug, smiling softly as she did so.

"Arigatou, Tsuruko-onee-chan."

Not too long after that, Kanako and Motoko could be seen leaving the premises of the Shinmei-ryu dojo, heading out to the van where the two Noriyasu's waited.

"…Kanako?"

"Hai?"

"Are you still alright with tomorrow?" Motoko asked softly as they walked alongside each other.

For a moment, Motoko wasn't sure if she was going to get an answer from the youngest Urashima.

"…hai." Kanako said, her face solemn "I wish it were me in your place… but that can't really be helped."

Finally, a small smile spread across the dark-clad girl's lips.

"Like I've said before, as long as she's happy, I'm fine." Kanako replied "I know you make her happy, more than I could make her, so I'm fine with it."

Motoko nodded, as no more words were necessary on the subject. However, that was not the end of the conversation.

"I do wonder why aneue hasn't let me see her dress… since you're having a western wedding and all." Kanako mused aloud, frowning slightly "I guess she wants it to be a surprise for everyone…"

Motoko could only smile; it would certainly be a surprise, alright.

* * *

"So… big day already, huh?"

"…"

"Everyone's ready out there, so we just need to hear word from Motoko and Seta."

"…"

"…you nervous?"

"Dear kami-sama yes!" Keika finally admitted, having spent the last several minutes staring at the mirror across the room from her.

Naru couldn't help but sigh, and Mutsumi seemed somewhere between amused and oblivious.

"What's the big deal? You two have been practically _married_ the last four years! The only thing that's changing is the fact that it's _official_!" Naru stated as she crossed her arms "Really, you don't need to be so nervous!"

"I-I know! I just… want everything to work out alright…"

"Ara ara, it will." Mutsumi reassured as she wrapped herself around Keika in an embrace from behind "Just don't pass out at the altar; my dad apparently did that at his wedding."

Keika could only pale as Naru dragged her girlfriend off of the older woman. Keika knew both of the women were right, but that still didn't stop the nerves from getting to her. Of course, now it was worse, because she was accompanied by visual images of her passing out in front of everyone.

"We're going to go see if Motoko's ready to go yet." Naru finally announced, taking hold of Mutsumi's wrists as she made for the door "You do what you can to keep it together, alright?"

Keika nodded, and the door was shut a moment later, leaving Keika to her own devices for some time. For a while, she simply continued to stare into the mirror, carefully looking over her entire ensemble. Her hair didn't look too terribly different than it normally did, but it did have a bit more of a sheen and softness to it on this day. Glasses were there, as per usual, and she'd taken care to take as much care of her visible skin as possible.

As for clothing, she found it rather amusing that she was dressed as she was. Rather than an overtly elaborate dress with a train of some insane length, like she figured Motoko would be wearing, Keika was dressed in a fashion that reminded her of how she used to dress when she arrived at Hinata-sou… though it was actual women's clothing this time around. Slacks, blouse, and a thin white belt were worn, and fit her absolutely perfectly. A women's jacket, fully buttoned, hid most of the shirt and was evidently custom tailored to her particular figure. The entire outfit was completely white, which she found somewhat ironic given her situation (3), even down to her shoes, not heels, and silk gloves. As for why Keika was wearing this instead of a dress… well, that was Motoko's call; she thought Keika would look better, and be more comfortable, in a suit instead of a dress.

'_Thank kami-sama… knowing my luck I'd trip and fall on that long dress.'_ Keika thought with a slight chuckle that brought some semblance of relief _'It's hard to believe this is real… even yesterday it still seemed so… dreamlike…'_

A knocking at the door caught Keika's attention, and she jumped slightly at it.

"Ano, it's open!" Keika announced as she turned to the door "Is it time to start?"

"Hai, aneue." Kanako called as she opened the door "Motoko is ready to go."

After one final deep breath, Keika allowed herself a nervous smile.

"Alright."

* * *

Keika's nerves were getting ready to collapse her body, but somehow she managed to remain standing. Even with Kanako and Seta, who was (somehow) qualified to perform the ceremony, up there with her, she felt that everyone's eyes were on her… just her. Not to mention that the anticipation in seeing Motoko in a wedding dress was _really_ getting to her, and then add in the fact that somewhere in the back of her mind she expected _something_, _anything_, to go absolutely, horrendously wrong. Still she stood, watching and waiting, until finally the music began playing.

Her heart began to race, watching the 'exit' that Motoko was supposed to take with the full entirety of her focus. Finally the doors slid open, and Keika's jaw and eyes, literally, went wide. Never, in the six years that they had known each other, had Keika seen Motoko look as _gorgeous_ as she did at that moment. Her dress, solid white of course, appeared absolutely heavenly as she seemed to float along the ground. The skirt portion was wide, with a comparatively short train by most wedding standards, while the top was elegantly and ornately designed, cutting off just above her breasts to reveal everything from her shoulders on up. Her arms and hands were clad in gloves of white silk, and she held a bouquet… though that was by far the _least_ interesting to Keika. The veil was as elegant as the dress, and fell in front of her face, which Keika thought to be glowing with a heavenly light.

As Motoko walked, both confidently and proudly, down the aisle, Keika's eyes never strayed from her, not even to her sister who was filling in for the father's role. (4) In the back of everyone's mind, Keika's included, they noted that this was probably the first time Motoko had been seen without her weapon nearby. The entire ensemble caught more than a few eyes, and several were in a state similar to Keika (mostly Keika's friends Shirai and Haitani, though Ema was awestruck as well). One thing nobody noticed was the readily visible set of scars on the young warrior-turned-woman's left shoulder, and even if it had been noticed, it would have been quickly dismissed.

By the time Motoko was face to face with Keika, the two were smiling brilliantly. As the two took each other's hands as the ceremony began, neither woman was capable of focusing on anything other than each other… save for Seta as he led the ceremony. Entrapped in their own little world, time seemed to fly, and it was no time at all before vows were said, rings were put on after gloves were first removed, (5) and ultimately it came down to the grand finale.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you hu… uh…" Seta conveniently turned his near-screw-up into a cough "… I now pronounce you… woman and wife. You may now kiss the… uh… _your_ bride."

Aside from the minute thought to inflict grave injuries on Seta for both of his slip-ups, Keika and Motoko proceeded with the kiss, their lips meeting in a, comparatively chaste, kiss (they were in front of a large group of people, after all). It was brief for those watching, but for the two involved, it was one of the most electrifying moments of their lives.

"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you, for the very first time… Mrs. and Mrs. Aoyama!" Seta announced loudly.

With the clapping and the cheers that ensued, neither of the two newlyweds could have been any happier, as tears began streaking down at least one of their faces. As the two newlyweds began to head back down the aisle, arm in arm, they realized that this was, indeed, the greatest moment in both of their lives. However, this was just their greatest moment _so far_; they still had lives ahead of them…

…lives to share openly together…

…standing with one another…

…in sickness and in health…

…in joy and in sorrow…

…in hardship and in ease…

…to cherish and to love…

…so long as they both shall live…

_

* * *

Finished, but not the End_

_

* * *

Author's Note: Footnotes…_

_(1) Think Auron from Final Fantasy X, only it's using a jacket and she's holding onto the zippered area on the opposite side from where she's resting her arm._

_(2) Shihan is the name for the head teacher of a martial arts school… I think_

_(3) White represents purity, aka. virginity. Depending on your definition of virginity, neither Keika nor Motoko would be virgins, hence the irony. Likewise, some would say this was an 'impure' union, which is also irony in and of itself as well._

_(4) As Motoko's father/mother are never mentioned in the books/anime, I presumed them dead in this. Ergo, Tsuruko is filling in for the part of leading Motoko down the aisle._

_(5) Remember, it's kinda hard to fit rings over gloves._

_Well now, that is it…the epilogue. Not quite as long as the other chapters, but hey, it's not supposed to be another chapter now, is it? Anyway, I would like to than you, my readers, for everything. I would like to especially thank those who favorited both myself and my story, and even more specially I would like to thank those who took the time to review my story as I posted each new chapter. Input and recognition are what makes my many hours and days writing worthwhile._

_As per normal, please review; input is always appreciated, even in the end. I also hope that you all will enjoy my next fanfiction, which has been determined by the responses to the poll I have on my author's page (which will stay up until January 1, 2009, if you'd like to vote)._

_Until next time…_

**_-A.W.R._**


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